Elemmire and Amdir
by Illeanah
Summary: Elrohir and Elladan chance upon two scrawny but extremely cute orphan twin elflings in the wilds. Drama ensues as Elrohir decides to look after his foundlings. But these cute twinlings have a past and a knack for getting into trouble! COMPLETE! SEQUEL UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Middle Earth and the elves belong to JRR Tolkin**

**Elemmire and Amdir **

**Chapter One. The Foundlings**

Two elves travelled through the deep valley wrapping their cloaks around their shoulders despite not being able to feel the cold. A grey mist swirled about them; floating a few inches off the cold ground.

The first elf stopped his dappled grey horse and looked over his shoulder at his companion. Belladir snorted a mist rising from his quivering nostrils he pawed the ground with his heavy hooves as if he too was as impatient as his master.

"Elrohir, hurry up." He barely raised his voice above a whisper but his companion's sharp ears heard him perfectly.

The second rider upon a black stallion, named Telwah, raised his chin proudly and grinned at his brother; his twin.

"We're not going to make anywhere by nightfall, Elladan," Elrohir replied lightly gesturing around at their surroundings. "Besides we're already late. Ada will be mad at us for missing the Mirkwood delegation no matter how early we reach home."

Elladan snorted loudly. "But travelling at the pace of an ill tempered hobbit will not help either."

Elrohir clicked his tongue impatiently and kicked his stallion's flacks and soon the twins were side by side. Elladan smiled wryly at his brother before turning and staring fixedly in front.

"Danger is out there."

Elrohir shrugged used to his brother's pessimism. "Danger is everywhere."

Elladan didn't reply he craned his neck back and looked up into the darkening sky. He felt his skin crawl and the gooseflesh on his normally indifferent skin; he could feel it. And he had only felt this once before in his long immortal life. Something was out there.

Elrohir didn't share his brother's worry. He tilted his head slightly and stared to hum an elfish song he had learned early in his childhood years.

Elladan ground his teeth together tightly and grimaced in an annoyance at his brother, who had been able to irate him as quick as a speeding arrow since their birth.

"Sorry," Elrohir apologised lightly knowing he had successful irked his brother. This didn't stop a small, badly concealed smile creeping onto his face.

"You're such an elfling," Elladan commented slyly. As he predicted his younger twin bristled at the jibe and hissed threateningly in reply.

Silence followed for an uncomfortable time. The sky was darkening at a frightening pace. Night was already upon them.

Elladan turned Belladir towards the side of the road. "We'll stop here."

Elrohir made no reply but complied with his twin; following meekly.

Elladan was determined to keep a close watch over their campsite that night. The silence of the air did nothing to quell his uneasy gut feelings.

So while Elrohir was resting he climbed a tree nearby and settling himself comfortably to listen and to watch. Minutes ticked by and Elladan felt his blood grow increasingly cold in anticipation of danger. He was sure of something was out there; yet he had nothing to prove it.

The moon rose sluggishly into the midnight blue sky. The stars overhead struggled to shine through the clouds and mist.

Elladan was about to give up his notion that danger was near when he heard the unmistakable sound a harsh call. His head snapped up and swivelled around. He swallowed and slipped from his hiding position. He reached the ground as the call was repeated. A different pitch a little more to the left… they were heading towards the campsite.

With the swift motion of his kind, Elladan moved towards where he knew his resting brother was. Elrohir was already moving towards the horses and packing up the camp.

The twin brothers exchanged knowing glances but otherwise made no move to communicate. Another deep harsh call resounded about them. They worked furiously, nimble fingers fiddling with foolish noisy tacks and saddles.

Within minutes of the first cry both brothers were mounted and moving away from the cries of the _'hunters.'_ It was true that neither twin knew the purposes of the other beings but they had no desire to make their presence known.

Belladir and Telwah moved fluidly their hooves moving in perfect unison. Until…

A high pitch cry of terror rent through the air, cutting the tension around the twin elves like a double edged sword. The cry was follow by another higher and more desperate.

Elrohir pulled Telwah back fiercely and tilted his head to one side, listening. His keen elvish ears thought they could hear sobbing on the wind. Without a thought for the consequences he pulled Telwah around and kicked his mount into a flying canter.

Elladan turned Belladir around moments after his brother just in time to see his twin disappearing into the night; melting away into the shadows. Using every curse word in elvish Elladan sighed inwardly and followed his brother, trusting Belladir to guide him as well as his elvish senses.

The grey horse pulled his neck forward and stretched his powerful legs, his hooves ripping at the ground underneath as they sped after the elusive twin.

More harsh cries punctured the night air as the twins galloped wildly in the dark. Elladan came in view within moments of his brother; he saw Telwah hit a long silvery stream. A cascade of water sprayed up from the speeding legs of the stallion; descending slowly back into the churned river. A moment later Elrohir was lifted a squirming strange thing into the saddle.

Elladan didn't have a moment's notice to wonder what the strange thing was that Elrohir had rescued. He hoped frantically it wasn't something terribly dangerous. Elrohir had a history of 'rescuing' creatures from the wilds.

What had captured Elladan's attention was a small hunting party of humans. They too were mounted. But instead of the graceful, elegant horses favoured by the elves their mounts were short shaggy haired ponies.

Elladan had pulled out his bow, notched an arrow, aimed and fired a warning shot before the men could cry out in alarm.

At the sight of two elvish lords; armed and willing to fight. The humans hesitated before returning Elladan's favour.

"Give us back our goods."

Elladan lowered his bow slightly; so slightly the human eye would have hardly caught the movement.

Elrohir looked to his bundle in his arms, which was obscured from Elladan's line of sight. "Goods?" he repeated almost dumbly and glanced back at the humans with narrowed slitted eyes. "Goods?" Elladan was so well attuned to his brother he caught the annoyance and fury from his brother's calm and quiet words. The human's however weren't not so perceptive.

"Now _elf_."

"No human commands me, _manling_."

The human snorted. But before he had notched his arrow, Elladan had fired his. The tip of the arrow pierced the man's throat.

Humans aren't known for their intelligence raised their weapons against the elvish twins. Without barely pausing Elladan and Elrohir had brought all of the men down… dead…

Elladan pushed his hair from his eyes and glanced to the humans then back to his brother. His anger at this brother for galloping off had died away.

"What was all that about?"

Elrohir sighed heavily as if something weighed heavily on his mind. He turned his horse around slowly. Until the brother's were face to face. Elrohir indicated to the bundle in his arms pointedly.

Elladan looked down with shock. A two pairs of eyes neither blue or green stared at him like big watery pools. Two little faces; framed in long mattered dark inky black, gazed up him almost innocently.

Elrohir pushed one of the being's hair back revealing a small pointed ear.

"Elfings," Elladan gasped in surprise, "they're only babies." The small twins pouted at him.

"Twin elfings," Elrohir added with a grin.

"I am _not _an elf," one of the small twins said softly and rather shyly.

Elrohir laughed lightly and patted his head. "Aren't they cute? Ada will have to let us keep them!"

Elladan frowned visibly. Who knew what crazy ideals his brother was formulating in his head. "At least we can blame being late on your foundlings," he said ruefully before turning Belladir away.

"That's _not_ fair," one of the little twins snapped irritably. "We _didn't _ask to be rescued by _you._"

Elrohir chuckled and lead his horse to the bank before dismounting and helping the youngsters off the back of the horse.

Elladan watched a little way off in surprise at the difficulty his brother was having.

"They're chained together," Elrohir murmured. He bent down to the elfling's level and locked eyes with the small pair. One ducked around his brother, a small finger winding around his midnight black eyes. The other lifted his chin and stared back his small jaw jutted forward and chest poking out.

Elrohir took in their apparel. Small human clothes… or rather rags. Rags that was filthy and torn and a tad bit too small. Their little feet were bear and bleeding and blistered. Mud and blood smeared both of their faces. Both were shivering violently.

Elrohir took his cloak around his shoulder and wrapped the twinlings up tightly. Both still looked blue, he rubbed their shoulders and started when the shier twin shied and recoiled with a yelp of fright. He stepped back and tripped sending his bound brother toppling on top of him.

Big blue-green eyes stared up in horror into Elohir's face as the little one attempted to scurry away. His twin held him in place admonishing his brother saying, "Don't be stupid. Can you see a whip?"

The frightened elfling looked Elrohir over critically with a strange scrutiny. Finally he shook his head and slowly stood although he was certain to make sure he stood a little behind his sibling.

"I'm Elrohir," Elrohir said touching his chest lightly with one hand. He then gestured to his brother who was mumbling while making camp. "My brother Elladan."

Elladan looked up in time to see two pair of eyes squinting at him in deep scrutiny. He nodded curtly at the pair of elflings.

"We're twin…" the bold twin announced proudly, "or you call us boy…"

"…or you.."

"… or hey you…"

"… squirt…"

"… or immortal…" the little elfling added a common curse word that made both Elrohir and Elladan started and glance at each other.

"So much for innocent," Elladan commented wryly.

"Do you have a proper name?" Elrohir asked gently to the two children.

The smaller pair of twins glanced at each other then their identical gazes turned simultaneously to Elrohir blank and confused.

"Why would we have a name?" the shy one demanded shifting his little foot into the soft bank. "We're slaves…"


	2. The Naming

**Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth it belongs to JRR Tolkin.**

**Chapter Two. The Naming**

'_Slaves,' _the single word sliced through Elladan's mind. He turned to regard the two young ones before him. They would be no more than the equivalent of five years of the human child. They were both skinny, painfully so, so that the pattern of their rib cage of visible on their pale almost transparent skin. Their eyes held something akin to hunger… not for food but for a freedom.

To still his racing mind Elladan sat by the little fire he had been building silently while he had been watching his brother's interactions with the children. He dug into the pack and pulled out a pair of apples. "Hungry?" He threw the apples at the pair of startled elflings.

They stared long and hard at the rosy crisp apple. "It's not stale bread!" he heard one twin whisper to his sibling. "What is it…?"

"It's…a… a… thingy…" the other supplied.

"Fruit," Elladan muttered looking upon the pathetic pair, "It's good."

Both twins lastly turned the fruit over in their small grubby hands and shrugged simultaneously before dumping themselves uninvited near the fire.

Elrohir smirked to himself as he watched the brothers bite into the apples and their identical squeals of delight and surprise. Elladan was rolling his eyes.

"I think they're sweet," Elrohir whispered in his brother's ears. Elladan nodded wistfully watching as the twins gobbled hungrily.

"Were we ever that little and pathetic?"

Elrohir gave his brother a withering look. "They've lived in bondage…"

"Hmm…"

"We're taking them to Imladris."

"Of course."

"I think we should adopt them."

"WHAT?" Elladan spluttered. The elfings looked up at this outburst surprise and shock.

"Why not?" Elrohir whispered frantically back. "We found them."

"They're not a stray orphan creature, Ro."

Elrohir sighed and glanced at the twins who were in the midst of their own playful banter. "All the more reason we should."

"Ada will make sure someone else will."

"Who's Udder?" one of the twins asked from the other side. "Is he important?"

Elrohir stifled a giggle upon hearing the mispronunciation of a common elvish word.

"Our father," Elladan supplied sceptically.

"An elf?"

"Yes."

"We don't want to go with the elves."

Elrohir gazed at the twins who earnestly stared back at him. "Why not?"

The two exchanged a worried glance. "We're scared of elves… they're bad."

Elrohir snorted lightly and waved his hand about. "You _are _elves."

"No," one twin said sharply as if he was explaining something to a stubborn child, "we _are_ slaves."

Elladan shook his head. "Hopeless…"

"You're free now," Elrohir returned softly, "what does that make you now?"

"Not elves."

"Yep sure." Elladan shook his head again.

"See!" one twin cried gesturing at Elladan, "you're brother gets it! He isn't so stupid."

"Not helping Elladan," Elrohir growled from one side of his mouth. Elladan shrugged.

"Okay I have an idea," Elladan said cheerily striding over to the twins and squatting beside them. "You are no longer slaves so why don't you pretend to be elves with us?"

"You don't look entirely bad to me," one muttered sceptically.

"But pretending to be elves would be better than being slaves," the other countered almost at the same time. His brother sighed heavily and murmured sleepily, "Very well."

Elrohir smiled dotingly over his small charges and busily made them a makeshift bed. He steered them toward the bed. "Now it is time for the little ones to sleep."

"Aren't you going to unchain us?"

Elrohir frowned the looked dubiously at the chain. Elladan crept at his shoulder and shook his head. "I wouldn't know how."

The younger twins sighed and sat on top of the makeshift bed, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"What do we need to pretend to be elves?" one asked coyly a tip of his little finger resting by his pink lips.

Elrohir grinned. "Ah a name…"

"Elrohir, don't name them," Elladan groaned, "it's the first step of getting attached."

Elrohir glared at him.

"I like him," the shy twin mumbled between a little giggle, "he's funny…"

Elladan grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"…but he's grumpy."

Elladan's grin faded and was replaced by Elrohir's smirk.

"… but you're funny," the little quickly said in what he presumed was assuring his odd benefactor.

"If you don't want to help," Elrohir murmured, "then I'll name them myself."

Elladan shrugged and rested himself on the ground and watched as his brother turned to study the elflings. Elladan knew what was running through his twin's head at that moment. He lamented over the youngsters' plight and knew his heart bled to think of them in captivity. He was feeling the pain in his own heart and mind also; but Elrohir had always been more gentle and compassionate.

"Hmm…" Elrohir was making a show of pacing up and down a mock imitation of their father. "Hmm…"

Despite himself Elladan smiled benevolently at the elflings rapt attention and he too wondered how he would name the foundlings.

"How about Amdir for you…" Elrohir tapped the midnight head of the more brave of the twins… the twin Elladan assumed must be the elder. He had seen the slight movements of this child to assure and to guard his sibling who seemed at times painfully coy.

Large blue-green eyes travelled to Elrohir's face. "What does that mean?"

Elrohir smiled. "I believe I've been rather clever tonight, Amdir."

Elladan watched the shiver of pleasure run down the child's spine as he heard his name spoken for the first time. He could tell something of the child had been given back to him… he had an identity.

"It means simply: hope. You've escaped from you're old life now you have a bright new life… one I can promise you that you can look forward to in hope."

The newly named elfling flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around Elrohir legs, which jerked his sleepy brother to his feet. "Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"

The younger twin was tugging relentlessly at Elrohir's pant's leg. "What about me? Do I get a special name too?" Elrohir gazed down into the child's pleading eyes and laughed. "Of course let me think…"

"Elemmire," Elladan blurted.

"Eh?"

"Elemmire," Elladan insisted firmly, he looked to the unnamed twin hoping he wouldn't hug him, "I choose Elemmire."

"Oooo," Amdir cooed, "What does that one mean?"

"Star… in a very special old language of our people."

"Why star?" Elemmire questioned, staring at Elladan with large grateful orbs of blue-green.

Elladan sighed heavily and shrugged.

"Yes why?" Elrohir insisted.

Elladan sighed and walked beside his brother and kneeled beside the newly named Elemmire. "Your brother has a name to remind him of his new life… you have a name to remind yourself that…"

Elladan blushed and glanced upwards at his brother who was waiting expectantly.

"Stars are very precious and special to our people…" Elladan gabbled quickly.

Elemmire nodded his head slowly as if he understood and said quite solemnly. "I hope I can make your stars feel special."

Elladan shook his head half relieved the youngster didn't understand his reasoning behind the name.

Elrohir was not fooled however. He followed his brother a short distance and made himself a spot to watch over the camp. "Very deep Elladan," he sighed he looked over to the two twins snuggled together, "too deep. He didn't understand."

Elladan was alerted to movement in the clearing by a pair of whispered voices.

"This way."

"No. This way."

"Thiiisss waaaayyyyy!"

"Shh. You'll wake him."

Elladan stifled a yawn and clambered down from the tree. He had been up all night watching over the second campsite. As far as he was aware the twins had not shifted in their sleep once until now.

Suppressing a grin and stealthily made it back to the campsite. Elrohir was resting still. Elemmire and Amdir were both up yanking their chain this way and that arguing which way to go.

Elladan shook his head and crept right up behind the quarrelling twins. "Where are you going?" he asked in a loud enough voice that he knew would stir Elrohir.

Elemmire and Amdir gasped and turned around guilt plastered on their sweet little faces. "Nowhere," they chorused.

"Hmm… doesn't seem like nowhere to me," Elladan scolded adopting his father's stern but quiet voice used for reprimanding.

"You two were running away weren't you?" Elladan continued surveying the guilt and shame rising the flushed cheeks of the elflings.

"Do you know what is in these forests?"

The small twins shook their heads miserably. Elemmire started to sniffle while his brother elbowed him in the ribs. Elladan ignored the movement to continue.

"There are horrible awful things out there that could harm unsuspecting little elflings."

"I'm not an _elfling_," Elemmire murmured curling his hair again around his little finger.

"Shh. We're pretending to be elves remember, stupid," Amdir hissed in his twin's ear.

Elemmire hiccupped, sniffled loudly and nodded.

"Don't you want to pretend with us and see our home?" Elrohir asked from behind his brother, finally stirring and addressing the children.

Elemmire nodded then shook his head looking bewildered and confused.

Amdir however, became more serious. "Will there be more fruit?"

Elemmire nodded backing up his twin.

Elladan sighed heavily and replied, "Much better things than fruit elfling, await you in Imladris."

The twins looked like they had just killed a whole army of orcs. There were _better_ things than fruit?

Thanks to all that reviewed. In response to why I didn't write down elvish names for the horses… This is a fluff piece written down from what I'm thinking at the time… flowing straight from my brain to my computer screen. I wasn't going to break that flow to go on the internet to find a name for two 'insignificant' horses. When I write names in my own stories I don't research meanings… when I wrote my own language for my own books they were done by aural analysis (sound). This is how I work. Plus I'm in no means a LOTR expert… I'm just having a go.


	3. Many Meetings

_**Disclaimer: Muddle Earth… I mean Middle Earth belongs to JRR Tolkin.**_

**Chapter Three Many Meetings**

Elrond paced from one side of his study to the other swishing his cloak about him in frustration. He glanced quickly to the first of his advisors Glorifindel the Belrog slayer. The blonde elf stared back stoically.

"I'm sure there is a very good reason for your sons' lateness," Glorifindel commented softly; it was obvious that he himself had doubts about his statement of confidence in Elrond's twins..

Elrond shook his head sadly; his twin sons were infamous for their tardiness.

"It is unpredictable out in the wilds," Erestor his other advisor commented lightly, "anything could have happened out there."

Elrond felt his stomach clench in fear involuntarily. Ever since loosing his beloved wife many years ago he feared unreasonably for the remaining members of his family.

"Elrohir and Elladan can look after themselves," Glorfindel added in an assuring manner and sending a withering look to his raven haired companion. "They can handle difficult situations."

"There has been no word from them," Elrond snapped irritably, "no word."

"Well milord they are out in the wilds," Glorfindel added.

Elrond snorted loudly and sat, on the intricate chair behind his desk, as regally as his anger would allow him.

"You may leave," he sighed wistfully waving a hand delicately, "You have better things to do than to quell my discomfort."

Erestor and Glorfindel exchanged looks and nodded slightly before slipping out of Elrond's study.

Elladan watched ruefully as his brother warmed some water. The foundlings, Elemmire and Amdir were watching also, curiosity unmasked on their little faces. However knowing what his brother was up to, Elladan smirked at the looks of wonder on the children's faces as Elrohir advanced on the huddled elflings.

Clamping a firm hand on Amdir's chin he raised the elfling's face slightly and despite Amdir's squeals of protest he proceeded to wash away the mud and blood from the child's small face.

Elemmire was watching wide eyed and inching away from Elrohir. Clearly aware that he was next and yet was unhappy by the thought.

Catching this small movement Elladan sighed grabbed a rag; dumped it into the water and caught Elemmire around his slim waist. Elemmire cried out and wiggled and squirmed as Elladan applied the cleaning rag to his dirty cheeks and nose.

"There," Elrohir said proudly, "they look much better."

Elladan stood back chuckling slightly at the indigent righteous fury in Elemmire's childish pout. But he certainly disagreed with his brother's assessment. They were still filthy, their hair was mattered and lank and they were much, much to skinny.

"All we need to do is…"

"Elrohir enough," Elladan snapped, "Ada will already be furious with us. Best not delay."

Elrohir sighed and rolled his eyes. "But we have them," he said wavering his hands in

the elflings' direction. "Ada couldn't possibly be angry with us."

"Will Udder be angry with us?" Elemmire asked with all seriousness.

Elrohir and Elladan exchanged glances. Elladan picked up the pair and sat them on his horse. "Not if we leave now."

"We should stop for lunch," Elrohir commented from in front. Against his broad chest Elladan felt the twin nods of the elflings.

"We're too close to Imladris," Elladan muttered, "another hour or so. We've never stopped this close."

"We were never travelled far when we were helpless, scrawny, hungry elflings," Elrohir commented dryly nodded his head at Elemmire and Amdir who were both wide eyed in anticipation of food.

"Ada would not approve of us starving the elflings," Elrohir continued, knowing this argument would win over his difficult twin brother.

"Very well," Elladan muttered ruefully. He grumbled and dismounted Belladir under a shady tree and helped the twins clamber down.

"Sit there," Elladan commanded pointy to a mossy seat under a tree. Elemmire sat obediently without hesitation and glanced up at Elladan. Amdir however glared at Elladan in reply. "You didn't ask nicely."

Elrohir chuckled at the look of indignation on his brother's face. "Please, little elfling sit next to your cute twin."

Amdir nodded in Elrohir's direction in acknowledgement before flopping down beside his brother.

Elladan sighed and rolled his eyes but otherwise made no comment. He searched through the pack and pulled out a fist full of bread and a hunk of cheese each for the twins.

Amdir took the offered food greedily but Elemmire reached out slowly, his small head bowed forward. Elladan had seen the great sadness in his eyes. Feeling dejected Elladan patted the elfling's head. "Eat up."

Elemmire obeyed slowly nibbling at the edges.

In the end Elladan lost his patience with Elemmire's slow eating habits so the little elfling was mounted back with his brother on Elrohir's horse Telwah sucking noisily on a piece of cheese.

Elrohir hummed happily as he and his brother rode down to the familiar roads that lead into Imladris. The two foundlings were leaning against his chest, snuggled closely as their large sleepy eyes started to loose their focus. He stroked their hair absently and felt their shivers of contentment.

"Halt!"

Elrohir groaned as the tip of an arrow was barely inches from his nose. _"Glorifindel."_

"Told you we shouldn't have stopped for lunch," Elladan muttered from behind glaring at his brother coldly.

"You're late," Glorifindel commented, "Stopping for lunch is the least of your problems."

"But we were hungry," Amdir piped up lifting his head sleepily from Elrohir's chest. Glorfindel started as he had not noticed the elfling. Another head moved and regarded him. "I was _really _hungry," Elemmire commented pathetically.

Glorifindel's gazed flew from one elfling to the other in a state of confusion.

"Were did you get them?" Glorifindel demanded a little harshly.

"We rescued them in the wilds," Elrohir replied proudly. "Aren't they cute?"

"Quite," Glorifindel replied dryly and turned around leading the two sets of twins into Imladris.

Elrond was furious. Elladan and Elrohir had apparently been spotted on the road taking their merry time to reach the Last Homely House. Of course no one mentioned to Elrond about the twins that were snuggled warmly against Elrohir chest.

He paced to and fro deciding how he was going to handle his anger. He opted for the option of sitting back calmly at his desk and ignoring his sons. He picked up a quill and parchment and scribbled nonsense across the surface; he knew the cold shoulder made his wayward sons uncomfortable.

Elrond heard his study door open and click shut. "Ada…"

"Where were you?" Elrond asked dryly.

"Ada, we ran into trouble and…"

Elladan made a desperate grab for Amdir who was dragging his twin and himself closer to get a better look upon the lord of the Last Homely House. Elrond was still writing frantically on a piece of parchment; the elflings were engrossed with the movement of the long white quill. Apparently they had never seen anyone writing before. Elrond who still had not looked up at not sensed the approaching elflings

But before Elladan could step forward; Amdir had slipped between Elrond's knee and elbow to position himself to get a better look what was happening.

Elrond gave a cry of surprise and found that he was staring at two pairs of large blue-green eyes. He glanced up to his sons who stood stiffly by the door. Elrohir looked on with pride with a smile; Elladan was scowling.

"Please explain," Elrond said with a forced calmness. Amdir ignored the lord's disconcertment and clambered on top of his knee to get a better look at the writing. Elemmire was craning his neck to see as well, but was keeping as much distance as possible away from Elrond.

"We rescued them in the wilds," Elladan explained.

Elrond turned to look at the dishevelled appearance of the elflings and screwed up his nose; they needed a good bath!

"Can we keep them?" Elrohir asked breathlessly. Elladan sighed heavily.

Elrond looked around stunned at first then looked to the elflings. "I'm sure that their Ada and Neneth are missing them."

"There's that Udder word again," Amdir commented to Elemmire who nodded his head dutifully to his twin.

Elrond started and looked appraisingly over the elflings again who were now staring at him unblinkingly. "Are you the Udder person?" Elemmire asked shyly.

Elrohir snorted back laughter and looked apologetically to his father. "We rescued them from slavery from their human masters."

Identical heads bounced in agreement. "And now we are pretending to be elves with them," Amdir announced.

Elrond started and glanced to his sons who cheeks reddened. _"Pretending?" _

"Ah-ha," Elemmire nodded finding his courage and leant forward so that Elrond also leaned in to hear him, "It's a secret though. We don't want the elves to find out."

Elrond nodded solemnly as if what Elemmire had said was perfectly reasonable. "Whose idea was this?"

"The grumpy one," Elemmire replied happily pointing at Elladan who scowled.

"I see…"

Elrond stood and kneeled in front of Elemmire and Amdir taking their tiny hands in his own. He finally nodded and patted their heads gently.

"Here, a servant will take you to the baths and find you something to wear…" Elrond said standing. An elvish servant was already waiting at the door. "I need to speak with Elladan and Elrohir alone. Understand?"

The elflings nodded and went to the door taking the servant's hand as they were ushered from the study.

When they were gone Elrond fixed his sons with a hard stare.


	4. Hair Cuts

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his wonderful world.**

A/N: Amdir – is directly taken from Sindarin and does mean hope. Yes Estel also means hope but I couldn't steal that one. Elemmire is directly taken from Quenya and means simply means star.

Originally I wanted to call the twins star of hope/ star of freedom… but I didn't like the blending with the elvish words. The names sound better this way…

**Chapter Four Hair Cuts**

The servant who introduced herself as Filigon, lead the tired elfling twins firstly to the blacksmith shed. Amdir spent the whole journey happy chatting about what fun it was to pretend to be an elf, while Filigon eyed his curiously. Elemmire nodded now as a sign of agreeing with his brother but his mind was preoccupied somewhere else.

The smithy was a noise place full of curiosities for the small elflings. Filigon however did not leave any time for exploring the new world for her small charges. She took Amdir's hand and steered them towards a tall raven haired elf who was working furiously with hot metal. Elemmire watched in rapt fascination as the hammer fell again and again shaping the now soft metal. Amdir squinted every time the hammer hit the metal.

"Aldros," Filigon said quietly. The smithy stopped in mid stroke, hid his surprise and lowered his hammer gently onto the bench.

"Filigon what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.

Filigon smiled wanly in reply and nudged the elflings forward. "I need your help."

Aldros knelt quickly unable to hide his surprise any longer. "Elflings… what?"

"The chain," Filigon said patiently, "I need you to free them gwador."

Aldros surveyed the chain darkly and nodded for Filigon to help him to sit the twins on his bench. He turned away quickly looking over his tools and wiping his forehead.

"Whose are they?" Aldros asked as if it was none of his concern. But Filigon knew that he was very interested to know.

Filigon shrugged. "Lords Elrohir and Elladan brought them from the wilds."

"The wilds?" Aldros fixed Filigon with a stare. "Are you sure. They're just babies."

Filigon sighed heavily. "Yes gwador, the wilds."

"Now what were you to doing in the wild eh?" Aldros murmured turning back to his tools and picking up a long pin and a hammer.

"Running away," Elemmire replied calmly gazing adoringly up at Aldros. The shy twin was becoming to like the smithy more and more with every passing second. He glanced up into the honest perfect face and the bulging muscles and fine muscular chest. Impulsively Elemmire grabbed the smithy's worked calloused hands and pulled him down so that Aldros was insisting that he squat beside him. "We didn't like our masters so we went away. We slaves hate humans."

"…and elves," Amdir interjected helpfully, feeling a little odd that Elemmire was gaining attention off an adult willingly.

"You don't like elves, eh?" Aldros inquired raising his eyebrows and looking up at Filigon for some answers. She merely rolled her eyes at him.

"But were pretending to be elves," Elemmire concluded with a sharp nod of his head; determined that his brother wasn't going to steal his limelight away.

However Elemmire gasped loudly as his eyes caught sight of the selection of tools in Aldros' hand. "You're not coming anywhere near me with those!" he squawked. But before he could jump from the counter Filigon had grabbed him about his shoulders and held him firmly.

Aldros smiled comfortingly. "Come now, no struggling. I know what I am doing."

Elemmire gazed at him dubiously and squirmed as Aldros approached with pin and hammer.

"Can we keep them?" Elrohir inquired eagerly despite his father's hard glare.

"They're not one of your stray creatures, Elrohir," Elladan muttered, he was sure his twin was only going to get them into more strife with their father. "They're elflings…" Elladan glanced to his father for support but he was met with a silent stare.

Elrond seemed happy to sit back and watch the argument brewing between the two brothers. He surveyed them with dry amusement. Elrohir and Elladan often argued in his presence.

"They are very young ion nin," Elrond said finally clearing his throat.

"I know ada," Elrohir sighed turning his attention away from his frustrated brother.

"Very young," Elrond continued stoically.

Elrohir sighed heavily.

"Young children take much work and devotion…"

Elladan nearly groaned and wished that his father would not allow Elrohir to 'keep' the elflings. Elrohir could barely look after himself sometimes.

"Once you adopt the elflings there is no going back…"

Elladan cringed while Elrohir whooped and enveloped Elrond in a tight embrace. "Thankyou Ada!"

"Did you hear that, Elladan?"

Elladan nodded slowly feeling regret that he had not spoken earlier.

"Aren't you happy?" A brief glimmer of hurt crossed Elrohir's ecstatic face.

"You honestly think you have the patience for a pair of elflings?" Elladan asked seriously.

Elrond was grinning.

"What makes you think that I do not?" Elrohir returned sharply.

Elladan smiled thinly. "They're babies still… _babies _Elrohir."

"So?" Elrohir snapped forgetting that their father was watching the development of their argument.

Elladan shook his head. "They will test and try you, Elrohir… and they won't know that they are driving you insane. Then just wait until they get older and can get into all sorts of mischief… Then they'll hit adolescence and they'll deliberately go out of their way to annoy you and then…"

"Reminds me of a pair of twins I know," Elrond commented wryly from his corner.

Filigon lathered another handful of lavender soap ignoring the expression of pure sulkiness she was receiving from Amdir. She hummed merrily as she rubbed the bubbly mixture into the elfling's black inky hair, while Amdir's pout only became more pronounced.

Elemmire sat docilely sniffing the calming scent now and then. His hair and been washed first since he had seemed the calmer of the twins. Filigon snatched a look at him and was pleased and relieved that he seemed happy to sit in the tepid water; glancing periodically at his reflection.

Amdir screwed up his nose again as Filigon finished massaging the soap into his hair. It smelled funny to him and he didn't like the soap at all.

Filigon rinsed Amdir's long hair and then proceeded to brush threw the wet strands of hair. Amdir proved to be more difficult than his brother and squirmed and wiggled as she tried to braid his hair.

Deciding that she would see to the quiet twin first she lifted Elemmire from the tub and pattered him dry. She dressed him quickly into the tiniest pair of leggings her fellow servants could find and a pale green shirt. Both items of clothes were miles to big for him. Elemmire stood stiffly his arms stretched out like a scarecrow; he did not seem to be amused. "You have some growing to do," Filigon told him as she rolled up his sleeves.

Elemmire nodded and sighed mournfully, "I'll never grow."

"I'm sure you will one day be tall."

"Like Aldros?"

"Hmm. Maybe."

"What about me?" Amdir cried. "Will I be tall one day?"

Filigon turned to him. "I'm sure you'll be as tall as your brother will be," she replied putting little moccasins on Elemmire's feet.

Amdir and Elemmire dressed and bathed were taken by Filigon back into the Last Homely House. They didn't go far when they were accosted by an older elf, although it was rather difficult to tell, with long raven hair twisted into complicated braiding.

"Ah, this must be the famous Amdir and Elemmire," he said kneeling by the startled twins. The twins looked to each other; Elemmire huddled closer to his brother.

Seeing the youngsters' confusion the elf offered them both each his hands. Amdir readily offered his own and nudged his reluctant twin to follow his example.

"I am Erestor and Elrohir had told me how cute you both are," the elf said, "I'm honoured to meet you both."

Amdir frowned he didn't like being consistently referred to as 'cute.' It made him sound like a mere child.

"What did Elladan say?" Amdire demanded suddenly. Elemmire nodded his head, eager to hear what he had to say. Erestor smiled at the memory of Elladan's few words about the new twins that would be living under Elrohir's care in Imladris.

"He said that…" Erestor's smile widened, "you were the smallest elflings he had ever seen."

"Oh," Amdir returned glancing at Elemmire.

"Pretending to be elves isn't very hard," Elemmire commented slowly. Amdir shook his head in confusion and yawned widely.

"They're very sleepy, milord Erestor," Filigon apologised quietly.

Erestor patted each twin's head lightly. "Of course they are after all their adventures and a warm bath." He nodded and swiftly turned on his heel and left the corridor without a sound.

Filigon lead the twins a little further down and opened a door ushering the twins inside. "This will be your room."

Amdir gasped in surprise. The room was well furnished with intricate furniture carved from wood, two little beds neatly made to one side, tapestries of green and blue around the beds and walls.

Elemmire sighed in contentment and curled himself immediately onto one bed, digging under the covers to find the hidden warmth. Amdir rolled his eyes; typical!

"Rest here little ones; I'm sure lords Elrohir and Elladan will come to see you soon." With one last appraising look at the odd twins Filigon melted away.

"I _don't_ like this," Amdir immediately said tugging on one of his braids. Elemmire glanced up at him dolefully. "I look like a _girl!"_ Amdir tugged more viciously on his braid for effect and scowled as his brother laughed at him; he had escaped from his hair being braided – Filigon obvious had forgotten.

"We could have such fun here!" Elemmire cried happily trying to find a topic that would distract his brother from his disastrous hair do. "We could play all sorts of tricks with the people here. Maybe we shouldn't introduce ourselves as twins… they'll think they've gone mad."

Amdir's scowled deepened. "That won't work stupid!"

"I'm not stupid," Elemmire cried pouting.

Amdir sighed and threw a heavily pillow at his twin who caught it and tumbled from the bed with a muffled hmph!

"I'm still not stupid!"

"Everyone probably knows about us – Ear – ros –ta did," Amdir sniggered.

Elemmire's forehead and eyes appeared from the other side of the bed. "But there is a lot of people here…"

But Amdir wasn't listening. A gleam had caught his eye. Investigating he saw a letter opener that had been left on a side table. His sparkled mischievously as he picked it up.

"Ow… don't," Elemmire murmured glancing at the door worriedly. "What if you get into trouble."

Amdir ignored his worried brother, however and tightened his braid and slashed through his hair with the letter opener. He watched victoriously as his hair floated down to his feet.

His triumph was short lived.

"What are you doing?"

Elemmire scrambled from behind the bed his eyes wide with a pleading look. In the doorway stood Elladan, Elrohir and another tall stranger.

Amdir guiltily grabbed his cut braid and hid it behind his back. He was no fool he was already sure that the adults had seen what he had done.

"What have you done?" Elrohir demanded sharply. Elemmire didn't like his tone – it spoke of trouble.

On shaky legs Elemmire cautiously stood beside his brother who had always insisted that there were safety in numbers.

Elladan leaned casually on the door frame and glanced at the stranger. "I did tell Elrohir trouble wouldn't be long in coming." The stranger beamed and turned his blue eyes back to the miniature twins before him. Elrohir however gave him a withering look that seemed to be mixed with a plea.

"Go on Ada," Elladan replied lightly, "this is your job."

Elemmire gasped his hand flying to his mouth in wonderment. "The Udder word," he whispered frantically to Amdir, "he just called him _that_ word."

Amdir shrugged listlessly and forced the innocent smile he had learned from infancy onto his face.

"Don't give me that look," Elrohir returned sharply, "I know you have done something naughty."

Amdir's expression didn't change; if at all possible he looked incredibly more innocent. Elemmire looked like he was about to cry.

Elrohir sighed and tried a different tact. "Why did you cut off your braid?" he asked in a soft dangerous voice.

"I didn't like it," Amdir answered curtly, "It made me look like a girl."

The stranger laughed lightly and stepped forward so the little twins could see him more clearly. He was tall with long muscular limbs; long blond braided hair framed perfect sharp ears. Blue eyes twinkled in merriment as he approached with long purposeful but completely silent steps.

"Do I look like a girl?" the stranger asked.

Elemmire stepped back in awe of the blonde elf, backing away quickly like a frightened fawn. Amdir however puffed out his chest and nodded his head. "Your braids make you _look_ like a girl…"

Elrohir nearly swooned on the spot. Mortified he stretched out his hand and snatched the child's silken lock from his hand. "Now you will look silly until your hair grows back." He glanced at the stranger who also looked a little taken aback.

Amdir shrugged. "I won't look like a girl," he added practically.

"Only silly," Elemmire whimpered. Elrohir smiled sadly at the shy twin and reached out to brush his hand through his hair. He saw the child close his eyes and gulp in fear.

"Do not be afraid, penneth…"

Elemmire opened his eyes again as Elrohir's hand brushed through his silky hair once more.

"Your brother has been foolish," Elrohir glanced sideways at Amdir and was satisfied to see his pale cheeks tinge into a shade of pink. "Now we must find away for him to not look silly."

Elemmire nodded sideways. "We should cut the rest of his hair."

"NO!" Amdir cried clutching his locks in small balled fists and started to shake his head furiously. "I _won't_ let you touch my hair!"

Elladan snorted in disbelief and murmured something incomprehensible to the stranger, who smiled wanly.

Elrohir ignored the two, picked up a squirming Amdir and sat him on the bed. With quick elvish reflexes he loosened the miserable elfling's hair. Then he swiftly rebraided Amdir's long black hair minding to hide the chunk of missing hair.

"Come, adar – gwador braid Elemmire's hair or we will all be late and displease King Thranduil."

Elladan sighed at the beaming Elemmire who seemed to be rapt about gaining positive attention from the 'grumpy twin'. He patted a spare spot on the bed and blinked sweetly up at Elladan so that the new reluctant 'uncle' could not help by smile genially at him. But before he could reach for the comb Elemmire was tugging at Elladan's sleeve.

"Who is your new friend?"

Elladan glanced at the blonde elf, who with marked strides came directly before the curious elfling. Blue eyes of years of experience meet with innocent but marred eyes of the youngster. "My name is Legolas…"

"The prince of Mirkwood, so mind your manners tonight," Elladan warned. The stranger groaned aloud.

"I've never heard of Mirkwood," Amdir replied casually deliberately jerking his head so that Elrohir let out a hiss of frustration.

"Is it far away?" Elemmire asked his large eyes widening even more in wonderment.

"Ai, very far for a little one," Legolas replied solemnly.

Elladan picked up the comb and started to braid Elemmire's hair. This youngsters' shoulder drooped; his eyes half – lidded and a large smile plastered on his youthful face. Elladan almost expected to hear him purr with contentment. Unlike Amdir Elemmire seemed to bask in this attention… he would have to mention it later to Elrohir…

By the time Elladan finished braiding Elemmire's hair the young child was almost asleep in his arms. Grinning from ear to ear Legolas moved towards the door. "He is so cute that my Adar could almost forgive you for being late…"

Translations of Illeanah elvish…

Some of you are probably wondering about the use of adar – gwador. Literally made this up means father-brother ie uncle. I couldn't find an elvish word for uncle on the website I'm using so this will have to suffice. Sorry to any of you who are complete fanatics but this is Illeanah logic… make it fit. I wanted to have Elrohir call Elladan 'uncle' in the lead up to the next chapter…

Illeanah


	5. The Udder One

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his wonderful world**.

Chapter Five The Udder One

Elrohir took the twinlings' hands in his own. He squeezed tightly more to assure himself than his new adopted sons, whom he realised a little too late still didn't know the good news.

Amdir was content to skip by his side chatting merrily; opening his mouth and speaking whatever came into his mind. Elrohir continually nodded and could not help but smile at the jubilant praise of Imladris from such young lips.

Elemmire however gazed about fearfully and clutched tightly onto Elladan's long grey robes with his free fists. This caused Elladan to frown upon the sweaty fistfuls of his silken cloak. Afraid of Elladan's ire Elemmire shrunk backwards stepping back into Legolas and falling onto his bottom.

"He's the 'fraidy twin," Amdir informed Elrohir confidently, "He were suppose to died at birth cause he was so small… he's so easy to pick on… that is why I have to make sure _I_ look after him."

"Hmm…" Elrohir bent down and picked up his new son and set him firmly but gently back onto his feet. He sighed and draping an arm around Elemmire's scrawny little shoulders he drew the child close to him. So close that he could hear the thumpdy thump of Elemmire's racing heart. "You have nothing to fear here child."

Drawing up the rear Legolas surveyed the two pair of twins. He briefly wondered how long it was before Elrohir was driven insane by the children. It was well known, even in the dark depths of Mirkwood, that Elladan and Elrohir were the bane of Imladris when they were just elflings.

All too soon they were ushered into the dining hall, which unfortunately for shy little Elemmire was crowded with elves.

Silence ensued as Elrohir swept through the room bringing the little ones with him. The gathered elves turned their heads to regard the small children.

Elemmire terrified by such single minded attention yelped, stopped in his tracks, let go of Elrohir's hand and jumped behind Elladan and grabbing at his robe.

'_Great now I have two clammy fists creasing my garment,'_ Elladan thought with a little irritation.

Concealing his annoyance at the shy child's overwhelmed reaction. Elladan turned and gracefully picked up a protesting Elemmire and placed him on his hip.

'**Well done adar-gwador,' **Elrohir's voice filtered through Elladan's subconscious telepathically.

'**He was creasing my robes!' **

But Elladan's attention flittered back to Elemmire, the little elf was staring out wide eyed in trepidation at his audience.

"I told you he was the 'fraidy twin," Admir announced clearly.

Elemmire's eyes watered clearly wanting to disagree but he lacked the courage to do so.

At the end of the hall, which seemed ominously far away from a worried and uncomfortable Elrohir, Elrond stood. Alongside him a tall muscularly blonde elf in long robes of greens also stood.

Straightening himself to his full height, Elrohir lead the way resolutely, trusting that Elladan and Legolas were following close behind him.

"Ada," Elrohir murmured drawing out a seat and sitting. Amdir stood a little nervously under the great blonde's elf's hard stare. "Gwanunig presto," he added in explanation nodding towards Amdir who was staring unblinkingly at the blonde elf.

"I have to admit our new ada handled Amdir quite well," Elladan said lightly drawing out a chair and sitting Elemmire on his lap where he couldn't clutch onto his robes. "Legolas on the other hand…"

Cheeks tinged pink Legolas also took a seat giving Elladan a hard stare.

"He _asked_ me a question…" Amdir stressed innocently batting his eyelids in confusion. "And I answered."

Elrohir snorted and pat Amdir's head before setting him too on his lap. "And it was a good answer," Elrohir replied determinedly not looking at a fuming Legolas. Elladan snorted.

"Which one's which?" the tall blonde elf asking pointing at the two elflings.

"I'm Amdir," Amdir said pointing to himself and glanced to his brother who seemed to want to only hide in embarrassment in Elladan's cloak. "The scaredy orc is my brother."

The tall blonde elf winced visibly and stared harshly on the now quivering elfling.

"He didn't know better adar," Legolas explained quickly.

"Please don't speak that word at the table," Elrohir commanded.

"Which one?" Amdir asked thoroughly confused.

Elrohir glanced up at his father who seemed to be watching and waiting for Elrohir's reply. Elladan too seemed to be smiling and waiting. Cupping his hands around Amdir's small pointed ears and whispered the dreaded word.

"Oh _orc_," Amdir said lightly before Elrohir could stop him. "We don't know what _orcs_ are!"

Elladan clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from smiling uncontrollably. But when his twin fixed him with a hard stare he pretended to be selecting food from the table for little Elemmire to eat. Very soon Elemmire was sucking on a piece of melon which was much too large for him and staring in fascination between the strange confrontation of his brother and Elrohir.

"Then you shouldn't speak of what you don't know," Elrohir said firmly.

'**Ah point for me Elladan!'**

"Why?"

'**Point for Amdir.' **

"Because…" Elrohir was lost how does one answer that dreaded simple question?

"Because your ada says so," the blonde elf said.

"Thankyou," Elrohir let out a long sigh. He hadn't realised he had been holding his breath.

"A wonderful analysis, Thranduil," Elrond commented wryly.

Elemmire however had picked up something strange in the conversation. He dropped the melon onto Elladan's lap; making his guardian grimace and was staring at Elrohir with utter amazement.

"Amdir," he breathed, "They have the same name…" Elemmire looked to Elrond who seemed to be highly amused.

"Uh?" Amdir was reaching across the table for some berries. Elrohir clutched him about his waist and grinning ruefully at King Thranduil as he pushed the berries closer to the now engrossed twin.

"He called him…" Elemmire pointed at Thranduil and then to Elrohir. "Udder… that's what they call Udder…" Elemmire finished by nodding at the twins then at Elrond. "They have the _same_ name."

"Oh?" Amdir popped a berry into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He clearly wasn't so excited by this strange revelation as his brother. "I thought his name was Elrohir."

Elrohir felt his heart thumping against his ribs and chanced a glance at Elrond whose eyebrows were raised.

"I didn't have time to speak with them, ada."

Elrond only raised his eyebrows further.

"See?" Elemmire was practically jumping up and down on Elladan's lap. "They said it again!"

"Speak to who?" Amdir demanded staring up innocently into Elrohir's face.

Elrohir was getting a little desperate. "I was going to speak with them tonight… quietly… Oh I didn't want this confusion!"

Elemmire picked up his melon from Elladan's leg and started nibbling again his eyes glued to Elrohir's face rapt by this strange form of entertainment.

"Oh… you're going pppiiiinnnkkk," Elemmire pointed to Elrohir's cheeks. Bright red would have been a better assessment.

"And this 'elf' confusion?" Elrond inquired.

"We're not _confused_," Amdir pointed out as if he were insulted, "We know that we are only pretending."

"Tonight, ada, I promise…"

"Hmm… something tells me you are in for a long night, gwador."

"It's _your_ fault they think they're pretending to be elves," Elrohir snapped at Elladan.

"Well _you_ played along with it!"

"What choice did _I_ have?"

Elemmire and Amdir watched the twins' confrontation with frightened round eyes.

"Now I'm really confused," Elemmire whimpered, jumped from the safety of Elladan's lap, crawled under the table so that he could clutch onto Thranduil's robes.

Thranduil glanced down surprised by the elfling's presence. Picked him up and set him into a servant's arms. "Take the little one back to his rooms… his ada is only overwhelming him here…"

"Take Amdir as well," Elrond nodded, perturbed that he was not the first to command the removal of the children, to the other twin who was standing half hidden behind Elrohir's chair.

Elemmire and Amdir hid together under the blankets of the bed. Their small elvish ears heard the door open and close softly.

"We're not here!" Elemmire called.

"Shut up stupid!" returned Amdir.

Elrohir sighed as the 'lump' moved. "_You _shut up!"

"Shh, he'll hear us!"

Elrohir however despite his elvish senses knew where his little twins were hiding. He sighed heavily and crept up to the bed leaving his book on a side table and slowly peeled the coverings away. Two pairs of green blue eyes stared up at him.

"Ohh," Elemmire wailed throwing himself at Elrohir, "don't yell at me!"

Elrohir enveloped the youngster in his strong arms and fished his squirming brother out of the covers. Elemmire sobbed on Elrohir shoulder.

"Don't yell at him," Amdir begged with sincere concern, "It frightens him."

"I'm not yelling," Elrohir replied softly setting himself on the bed with Elemmire, who was now choking on his tears.

Speaking softly in elvish Elrohir rubbed Elemmire's back and beckoned silently for Amdir to join them. Amdir clambered slowly to his brother and wrapped himself around Elemmire's shaking form.

Elemmire suddenly choked back one last time and lifted his tear stained face. "Please don't yell."

"Hush, ada's here," Elrohir whispered instinctively wiping away Elemmire's tears.

Elemmire snuffled nosily wiping his nose on his tunic which made Elrohir grimace but he did not pull away from the youngster. "There's that name again."

"Ah Elemmire, it is not a word that should frighten you so," Elrohir sighed settling his chin on the elfling's head. He could feel the youngster's small nose pressed tightly into the crook of his neck. Amdir settled himself on the other side of Elemmire rubbing his brother's back.

"Then what does it mean?" Amdir asked.

"It means I've made a very important but happy decision… are you listening Elemmire?" Elrohir felt the nod of yes and continued. "My brother and I found you alone in the wilds with no where to go. We both knew we could not abandon you and so we have brought you to your new home."

"So this is _our _home now?"

"Forever?" Elemmire mumbled.

Elrohir smiled. "Yes forever."

"You are both very young… and here in this place adults look after their youngsters…"

"Nice ones?"

"… like you?" Elemmire finished for his twin.

Elrohir nodded. "Because you have no nana or ada that we are aware of…"

"That word again," Elemmire muttered.

"Ada's and nana's are very special people…Ada means father?"

"What means father?" Amdir asked.

Elrohir sighed ruefully. **'Elladan this is driving me insane. How does one do this?' **

'**You made the decision gwador.'**

'**I know… but how does one explain the meaning of father?' **

'**I dunno… but make it happy.'**

Elrohir sighed again and glanced back at the two children waiting patiently. "A father or ada, looks after his little ones, he loves them, feeds them, teaches them… ah and when his little ones are all grown they still can come to him…"

The twins exchanged looks of indistinguishable emotions. "That other elf is your ada?"

Elrohir nodded.

"You are _his?"_

Again Elrohir nodded. "I've decided that I should be your ada and look after you."

Elemmire squeaked tears quickly forming in his eyes.

"What's wrong little one?" Elrohir asked dismayed.

"I do…don't wa… want… to – to be yyy…our slave," Elemmire wailed.

'_Oh valar help!' _

"No, no, no little one," Elrohir gabbled in his panic, "You misunderstood."

Elemmire back peddled until he slipped from the bed slamming his skull on the floor. Stars exploded in front of his eyes and he lay there stunned. He faintly heard Amdir's shout and cry and Elrohir's panicked yell.

Blinking furiously as tears surfaced to his eyes Elemmire lay in a heap clearly in shock.

"Oh little one," Elrohir said scooping him into his arms, "you misunderstood …"

Translation: Gwanunig presto – twin trouble


	6. We are elves?

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his wonderful world.**

**Chapter Six We _are _elves?**

Elrohir cradling the shocked Elemmire sat back into a large chair before his long elegant fingers searched the scalp for any sign of a wound. Elemmire wince and his eyes welled up with fresh teras as Elrohir's fingers found a large lump.

"My head hurts," the child murmured as he gazed dazedly about.

"Hmm… you hit your head quite hard."

Elrohir looked up to see Amdir staring harshly at him, his little fists curled into balls at his side an angry pout on his face. _"I'm_ suppose to look after him," Amdir whispered, "That's_ my_ job."

Elemmire snuffled loudly as Elrohir stood gracefully.

"That is now my job to."

Amdir's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No! Put him down! Put him down! PUT HIM DOWN!" Amdir's whispered command crescendo with alarming speed to a holler.

Panicked over the surprising reactions of the elflings to which he thought was wonderfully glorious news, Elrohir found himself complying with Amdir's command.

Amdir however kept shrieking at him at the top of his lungs. "Get out! OUT! LEAVE US ALONE! AND NEVER, EVER COME BACK!"

Mortified Elrohir spun in a full circle searching desperately for something to calm the elflings. Amdir's screaming suddenly made Elemmire's soft sobs into a loud hysterical wail.

"I… I… don't….wan..na… be… a – a –a slave!"

'**Elrohir, is everything okay?'**

'**Does it sound like I'm okay, Elladan?'**

'**Ada is coming and Erestor and Glorifindel and Legolas and Thandruil and half of Imladris…'**

'**Thank the valar!'** Elrohir blocked his keen ears from the ever hysterical noises emitted from the twins. He never knew something that tiny could make such a racket.

As this happened Elrond entered the door banging on the hinges. Elrohir turned, his fingers still protruding out of his ears and mouthed desperately. 'Help me!'

Elrond nodded curtly and rushed over by Amdir and hushed him with gentle words in elvish. Erestor swept past and picked up Elemmire who seemed to calm with his touch. As soon as Amdir stopped screaming Elemmire quietened to almost inaudible sniffles.

"What did you do to them to warrant such behaviour?" Elladan asked somewhat amused. Elrohir glared at him and attempted to take Elemmire from Erestor, but the child flinched and buried himself deeper into the advisor's embrace.

Despite the momentarily expression of pain and rejection on his face, Elrohir turned to his brother and smile wanly and glanced at the crowd of elves gathered at the door way.

Elrond stood picking up Amdir who was forcibly wiping away tears. Elrohir had not even noticed the child had been crying while screaming at him. He had let a screaming child command him; his cheeks reddened in shame. He had been easily manipulated.

Elrond waved the other elves away and very soon only Erestor, Glorfindel and Legolas remained.

"I don't know went wrong!" Elrohir cried in frustration. "I was trying to explain to them about the adoption and…" Elrohir glanced at Elemmire in Erestor's arms he seemed almost immobile now. He longed to take his new son in his arms but he dared not; not while Amdir was staring at him like that was avidly.

"Elemmire completely misunderstood and everything escalated from there," Elrohir continued. Steeling himself against Amdir's death stares he took Elemmire from Erestor. He rubbed the distressed elfling's back as he felt fresh tears run down his neck and chest. He looked over ruefully at Erestor who also sported a wet tunic.

"_He_ said that _we_ belong to _him_," Amdir snapped. "That wasn't a nice thing to say."

Elrond's lips tightened and glanced at Elrohir to elaborate.

"I was trying to tell that what an ada was and Elemmire thought…"

"I don't wanna be a slave," Elemmire sniffed cutting Elrohir's explanation off.

"That's not what I said, penneth."

"Yes it is!" Amdir argued. Elemmire brought his head up for the first time looking very miserable indeed.

"No, no, no," Elrohir said softly wiping Elemmire's tear stained cheeks. Again surprised something so little could shed that much water. "_My _heart firstly belongs to _you._ I am firstly yours."

Elemmire wrinkled his little nose. "I don't want you as a slave."

Behind him he heard Erestor's laughed joined by that of Elladan.

"I think you're doing fine," Legolas said quietly, "It obviously is an alien concept to them judging by their difficulty to grasp what you are saying."

Elrohir sighed and glanced once more at Elrond who was still holding a squirming Amdir with practiced ease.

"Elemmire do you love and care about your brother?"

The little one nodded eagerly.

"Amdir do you love and care about your brother?"

The question was answered by an identical nod.

"Then think of me…" Elrohir gestured around the room. "Us as more beings that will love and care for you no matter what."

"Beautiful," Legolas murmured with a grin.

Elrond was nodding in approval.

"So we're not slaves?" Elemmire asked quietly.

"No." Elrohir brushed the elfling's cheeks again. "You will never know slavery again."

"And you won't hurt us?" Amdir piped up hopefully.

"Upon my word, never," Elrohir promised solemnly.

Elemmire let out a shuddering sigh and leant further into Elrohir's embrace, his breathing slowing to a more relaxed state.

"And now I think it is time for little ones to sleep," Elrond commented.

Elemmire blinked slowly as Elrohir picked up and brush and sat down on the bed setting the child before him. Elrond did the same for Amdir who looked a little less happy of his treatment than his brother.

Elladan, Legolas and Erestor left with quiet goodnights and soon Elrond and Elrohir were left alone with the twins.

Elemmire was sleepily enjoying Elrohir untying and brushing his hair but the time his new ada had finished he was asleep. Amdir too was blinking tiredly.

"Someone methinks had a hair cut," Elrond commented lightly.

"Gwanunig presto," Elrohir sighed, "He doesn't like his braids."

Elrond clicked his tongue bemused. "Funny little being."

Very carefully Elrohir stood and tucked Elemmire into bed. His keen ears heard a soft moan of contentment from Amdir as he too was tucked in.

Smiling almost sadly to himself, Elrohir softly kissed each elfling's foreheads lightly and softly exited the room. He leaned against the wall and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, forgetting Elrond was still near by.

"You did well ion-nin."

Elrohir forced a smile. "Is this how you felt, ada?"

"Exhausted, relieved but incredibly happy?"

"Aye, I suppose you could phrase it like that, ada."

"Then I felt this many times, ion-nin."

Elladan and Elrohir made their way slowly towards the youngsters' bedroom. It was early in the morning and they doubted they would be awake. They were to be proven wrong by the sound of identical giggles…

Elrohir opened the door and was greeted with a shout of "Elrohir!" as Amdir came streaking across the room, a fur blanket around his shoulders, and grabbed him around his legs. "Elladan!" Elemmire shrieked following suit. He had a lamp shade on his head. Then the twins exchanged places…Elrohir was now staring into Elemmire's large eyes and Elladan was shrinking away from an enthused Amdir.

"Good morning ion-nins, you are both up early," Elrohir said.

"Up with the sun!" Elemmire cried happily. He seemed like a completely different elfling that he had been the previous night, for which Elrohir was grateful.

Elrohir grinning energetically at Elladan (who sighed and rolled his eye animatedly) took a seat on a comfy chair and invited his adoptive sons to join him. Amdir took a running leap and landed nimbly on his lap, Elemmire on the other hand was content to scramble ungracefully.

When both children were secure on his lap and had stopped wiggling Elrohir spoke, "We need to talk more little ones about something we have said to confuse you."

"You're not very good at explaining things Elro… erm…" Elemmire announced now unsure what Elrohir's name was now.

"Ada, now ion-nin," Elrohir supplied.

"Udder," both twins chorused.

"No AD – A."

"Ad – da."

Elladan laughed lightly and shrugged in his brother's direction. "It's better."

Elrohir turned his attention back to the task at hand. Explaining to his children that they were in fact elves…

"Tell me little ones what you understand elves to be," Elrohir asked softly.

"They're really ugly," Amdir supplied. "Really ickey."

"And mean."

"They have sharp teeth."

"And sticky breath – and they're ickey."

"And mean…"

"And they eat live flesh."

'_Uh-oh,'_ Elrohir thought, _'Sounds like orcs to me.'_

"Amdir is Elemmire ugly and ickey."

"No."

"Elemmire is Amdir mean…"

"Only when someone is mean to me."

"And do I have sharp teeth and yucky breath."

"No."

"Do you like to eat live flesh?"

The young twins shivered; where was the conversation leading to?

"I like berries best of all."

"I like melon – with cream…"

"Yeah but you always got into trouble for getting into master's cream."

Elrohir sighed and waited for the children to finish their conversation. "Well I think we should have a look at this book I wanted to show you." He gestured to Elladan and looked around for the book that Elrohir had meant to show the children last night.

Elladan flicked through the pages and found what Elrohir wanted to show them. "This is a picture of a great king from a very long time ago."

"Before we were born?"

"Yes a long time before then."

The book was opened and shown to the children who gave a cry of delight. "Oh I like him…"

"He looks nice."

"What's his name?" Elemmire was gazing up at Elrohir trustingly his small finger on the king's face.

"Gil-galad, the last king of the Noldor. He was slain in the last alliance of elves and men."

"But…" Amdir was squinting at the page. "But… he is not…"

"A man," Elemmire finished.

"No. Gil-galad was not a man."

"Then what was he?" the twins chorused.

"An elf."

The two children glanced at each other worriedly. "But he does not…"

"Look ugly, ickey, have sharp teeth and does not look like he would prefer to eat live flesh?"

The twins nodded.

"Elladan the mirror."

Elladan picked up the mirror looking sceptically at his brother. This was going too well.

"Here first is a picture of some little elves." The twins looked down at the page befuddled for a moment.

"And here are your faces," Elrohir said holding up the mirror. He watched as the elflings looked into the mirror blinking with wide eyed amazement.

"We are elves," Amdir gasped suddenly. Elemmire's hand wound its way around his pointed ear.

"We are elves," Elemmire repeated.


	7. WARNING: Don't Leave Unsupervised!

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his wonderful world.**

**Chapter Seven WARNING: Don't Leave Unsupervised**

"Ducks!" Amdir cried racing down the grassy embankment, waving his small arms above his head wildly.

The unfortunate water birds took flight as the child galloped through them giggling with glee.

Elemmire sat subdued in Elrohir's arms sucking nosily on all his knuckles.

Upon the realisation that they weren't pretending to be elves – that they in fact were elves, Amdir had brushed the information away. Elemmire true to his timid nature had jumped up from the bed and hid in the cupboard. He had stayed there until Elrohir coaxed him out with melon and cream. Perhaps that was why he was still sucking on his knuckles. Elrohir had never seen cream spread so far.

Elrond had given both Elladan and Elrohir a brow beating for giving Elemmire cream for breakfast. This amused both the young twins greatly. They had watched with identical cream covered grins.

That was when Elladan had cleverly suggested taking the elflings down to the lake.

Elrohir had never seen a pair of children excited by the idea of a simple excursion, well when they realised they didn't have chores to do.

Elrohir's musings were cut off by a delighted cry from Amdir as he rushed towards the water. He flew down the bank, not once did he hesitate or check his speed, and plunged into the water with a tremendous splash.

Elemmire clapped his hands and laughed. "Me too! Me too!" he cried wriggling successfully from Elrohir's grip. Before the new inexperienced Ada could blink Elemmire was tearing down the embankment to join his brother in the water.

"Nooo!" Elrohir wailed in dismay as both of his elflings' head plopped up from the water splashing each other madly with squeals and squeaks.

Elladan smirked. "Two very wet elflings. What would ada say?"

Elrohir pursed his lips tightly and glared in Elladan's direction. Catching onto his brother's shoulder, Elrohir pulled off his boots whilst still standing and rolled up the legs of his pants. "I'll tell ada I gave them swimming lessons."

Elladan snorted and glanced over to the playing children. Elemmire playfully pushed his brother into the water. Amdir loosing his footing brought his twin down in a great cascade of water.

Elrohir without looking towards his brother strode down to the water's edge and waded to his adopted sons, who stopped and regarded him with round innocent eyes.

Then suddenly with quick elvish reflexes Elrohir did not expect of him, Amdir drenched him with a well aimed splash!

"Well," Elrohir said slowly his hands on his hips and head tilted to one side doing his best impersonation of Erestor. Amdir raised his eyebrows and mimicked him tauntingly.

Elemmire grinned winningly a mischievous glint in his eye. Before he could follow his brother's example however, Elrohir swept them both up and back down into the water. The young twins didn't even have time to squeal.

"Hey that wasn't fair," Amdir protested.

Elrohir laughed and lounged in the water. Elemmire took the opportunity to splash him back.

"Now we are wet!" Elemmire cried.

"You were already wet," Elrohir spluttered.

Elemmire blinked his rather large eyes at him. "But now we are really, _really_ wet, ad-da."

Elrohir could only laugh at Elemmire's childish logic. He looked up to where Elladan was standing on the bank watching with an unreadable expression.

"What an earth do you think you are doing, Elrohir?"

Elrohir shrugged and flicked his hair out of his eyes. "Bonding."

"_Bonding?_ You're all wet."

"Hmm," Elrohir nodded his head seriously. "I did notice that."

"Ada will have a fit!"

"Oh, come on and join us. You as the newly appointed adar-gwador have the responsibility to bond too."

Elladan snorted.

Elrohir however was not perturbed by Elladan's attitude, turned to Elemmire. "Ada has a special mission for you."

Elemmire's eyes lit up.

"You need to get adar-gwador to join us…"

"Ohh how?"

"Look at him with those lovely moist eyes of yours and look really offended that he has snubbed us."

"Look really cute," Amdir added thoughtfully, "just like when you're about to get into trouble."

Elemmire nodded furiously to show he understood and quickly clambered up the bank to Elladan. Elrohir watched in interest as Elemmire caught Elladan's hand and tugged loosely. He giggle to himself as Elladan shook his head with a clear 'no' and Elemmire pouted making the elder shift uneasily. Elladan shook his head again. Elemmire determinedly tilted his head and gazed unblinkingly up at Elladan and tugged once more.

Poor Elladan had no chance against Elemmire expert begging, very soon he was enticed into the water.

"I hate you," Elladan muttered to the grinning Elrohir.

The young twins took the opportunity of distraction to tackle Elladan and bring him crashing down into the water.

Elrohir rested on the grassy embankment; his eyes were usually half lidded as his mind wandered lazily. It was glorious in the midday sun. Elladan had left back for Imladris with the excuse that he needed to change into spare clothes. And Elemmire and Amdir were playing a tag game by some nearby trees. Their giggles and playful shouts were clearly heard over the bird song.

But Elrohir realised something as the minutes drained away. No longer could he hear the happy playing of his young sons.

Eyes snapped open with this dreadful realisation.

"Elemmire! Amdir!"

There was no response, just the soft murmuring of the wind in the branches.

"Amdir! Elemmire!" Elrohir rolled onto his feet, his hands slipped to his waist where his white boned knives should have been. His hand met thin air.

Baffled by this mystery Elrohir called out once more for his sons. Again there was no forthcoming answer. Angry that he had not supervised his new children carefully and angry the elflings had sneaked away, Elrohir roughly called their names again. He would rather meet an orc patrol rather than going home without Elemmire and Amdir. His ada would have a fit!

A high pitched cry of surprise and pain filled the air. Elrohir tilted his head and swore colourfully in elvish. The sound was certainly very child like in pitch.

Running as fast as possible through the forest Elrohir sped towards the sound of distress. Very soon he found his twins, Amdir sitting on a log looking pale and terrified. Elemmire, however, clutched a bloody white boned knife in one curled up fist and his ear with another.

Striding forward Elrohir let his worry and fear get the better of him. He wrenched the knife out of Elemmire's hand and threw it to one side; he could come back and collect it later.

"What have you done?" Elrohir hissed picking Elemmire up from under his armpits. He reached forward and grabbed Amdir's sweaty hands. "Wandering off like that was very, _very_ naughty."

Elemmire didn't seem to be listening he continued to howl as if he was in tremendous pain. Indeed when he pulled his hand away from his ear Elrohir saw it was bloody. Blood clung to his left side of his temple soiling his hair and skin.

Elrohir glanced from one child to another as he felt his heart sink to the forest floor. His ada was going to strangle him when he got home.

Swearing softly Elrohir bent over and swung Amdir over his shoulder and started to run for Imladris. He had just be proven to be a very poor Ada to the young foundlings.

Elrond chuckled despite himself as Elladan told him vividly how little Elemmire had coerced him into the water. Erestor who stood silent at the end of the room, unseen and unheard by the twin, could not stop the smile reaching his lips.

"And then _both_ the twins attacked me," Elladan cried, "I had no escape ada. That is _why _I came home wet."

"They are only little children, Elladan," Elrond replied.

"By the way you describe it you make them sound more like little orcs," Erestor rejoined.

Elladan spun and glared at his father's chief advisor and friend. "You just wait until they decide to pick on you."

Erestor sighed contentedly. "I am an _older_ elf and I am blessed with being much cleverer than my _younger_ counterparts."

Elladan threw him death stares as he exited and then turned his attention back to his father.

"Do you really believe Elrohir can raise these elflings effectively?"

"Do you?" Elrond replied infuriating Elladan by returning the same question.

"They will never have a nana," Elladan pointed out proud he had found a flaw.

Elrond seemed unimpressed as he slowly poured himself a glass of wine. He took a sip and glanced in Elladan's direction slyly.

"He killed that poor spider," Elladan cried in defence.

"I seem to recall it was you who stomped on it," Elrond cut in.

"But these are living breathing elflings! Surely someone else should have…"

Elrond held his hand up for silence and successful quenched Elladan argument. "Indeed. And I have no reason to doubt that Elrohir won't love and cherish them."

"Surely someone with experience…"

Elrond laughed sadly and shook his head. "I was not given a handbook on raising children when you and your brother were born."

"Ada…" Elladan sighed in irradiation.

However what Elladan was about to say remained a mystery. They were interrupted by Glorifindel knocked on the door and opened it without an invitation.

"Excuse me Lord Elrond," Glorifindel gasped. "Elorhir has returned with an injured elfling."

Elladan stole a glance at his father as Elrond stood and with swift strides nearly made it to the end of the room. Sighing Elladan decided to tag along for moral support.

They reached the healing quarters in record time. Elrond barged through the rooms with Elladan in his wake. He barely acknowledged any of the other elves who politely acknowledge his presence with nods and murmurs of 'milord.'

They finally came to a room where Amdir was sitting alone on a chair, swinging his legs back and forth idly. Elrohir was doubled over a struggling Elemmire.

"What happened?" Elrond demanded.

Elrohir whirled around and upon seeing his father grimaced in relief. He shook his head mutely and glanced back at his hand which was pinched over the wound on Elemmire's delicate baby elf ears. Elrond gaze followed that of the second born twin and narrowed.

A few seconds passed before he clicked into healer mode and shooed Elrohir to the side. Whispering softly in elvish he almost instantaneously calmed the wailing Elemmire and proceeded to clean the deep cut in the youngster's ear.

Elrohir watched sheepishly blinking away his own tears of frustration. Elladan stood by him his hand squeezing his shoulder. '**I did not watch them closely enough.'**

Elladan sighed and tightened the squeeze on Elrohir's shoulder.** 'Well at least you have learned something… baby elves need supervision.'**

'**I'm a bad ada.'**

'**Don't say that.' **Elladan squirmed as he sent that thought relaxedly and felt immediately guilty for his chat with his father about Elrohir's parenting skills.

'**You're thinking it. I know you are.'**

'**Doesn't mean I'm right,' **Elladan thought ruefully he glanced at Amdir who was still sitting quietly contentedly sucking his thumb. **'I think someone is hungry.'**

Elrohir snort aloud earning himself a quizzical look from Elrond. "You can take him down to the kitchens then and feed him." Before Elladan could protest Elrohir successfully bundled Amdir into his arms and shooed him from the room.

Elrond had sat Elemmire up; his green blue eyes glistening with tears and his thumb, like his twin, firmly lodged in his mouth.

"I think and explanation is due," Elrond said slowly as he stretched looking pointedly at Elrohir.

"I'm sorry ada I had dozed and by the time…" Elrohir gulped and glanced at Elemmire sucking merrily now on his knuckles. "By the time I found them he was crying and… and…"

"I tried to cut my ear off," Elemmire supplied quietly blinking his large eyes.

Elrond and Elrohir both gave him sharp looks which only made Elemmire cry. "I tried to cut my ear off!"

Hey need some help. Anyone know what the elvish word for grandfather is? I can't go around having the elflings call Elrond 'Elrond' and ada-ada doesn't have the same appeal as adar-gwador. It would really be a great help if anyone could please tell me!


	8. You ARE Special

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his **wonderful world.

Last Time:

"**I tried to cut my ear off," Elemmire supplied quietly blinking his large eyes. **

**Elrond and Elrohir both gave him sharp looks which only made Elemmire cry. "I tried to cut my ear off!" **

**Chapter Eight You Are Special**

Elrohir took Elemmire's shoulders and held him at arms length glaring at him appraisingly the whole time. Elemmire futilely refused to meet his ada's eyes. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't!

"Tell me little ion nin, why you did something so silly," Elrohir demanded angrily. Elemmire stuffed his little fists as far as they would go into his eye sockets and made no reply.

Elrohir swore again earning himself a reprimanding glare from Elrond. But he ignored this and rose quickly and stormed out of the room before he succumbed to the temptation of screaming his head off.

Elrond sighed and Elemmire unstuffed his fists from his eyes which were red and swollen from his tears. The little elfling watched his father's retreating back, blinked twice and burst into floods of tears once more.

Elrond sighed again. He had been abandoned standing in the middle of a room with a crying elfling. He knew the little being before him was a sensitive little creature and therefore he was at a loss of what he should actually do with him.

Looking left and right, knowing it was only a matter of moments before another healer came in to check what all the noise was about, Elrond lifted the child into his arms. Elemmire snuggled instinctively into his neck his sobs quickly subsiding to little chokes and whimpers.

Elrond's long elegant fingers sifted through Elemmire's long tresses. He grimaced at the sight of the elfling's blood all over his fingertips but hummed instead an old elvish lullaby. When he finally felt Elemmire's body relax Elrond spoke, "Why did you try and cut off your ears, tether pen?"

Elemmire blinked and started to hear the voice so close to his injured and throbbing ears.

"Tell Iauradar if you won't tell your ada, hm?"

Elemmire sniffled and blinked in confusion.

"Tell me, tether pen."

Elemmire wrinkled his little nose and wrapped his small arms furiously around Elrond's neck. "I can't be an elf if I don't have the ears!"

Elrond stopped the chuckle rising in his throat and glided over to a basin of water. With careful deliberate movements he soaked a cloth and sat in a comfortable chair with Elemmire perched on his knee. Slowly he worked the damp cloth through the inky blackness of the child's hair removing the clumps of blood.

"It is not the ears that make the elf, Elemmire," Elrond said finally speaking.

Elemmire glanced up with confused eyes and Elrond gently smudged of a spot of mud that rested on the child's nose.

"If you change your shirt or shoes or unbraid your hair do you stop being Elemmire?"

Elemmire creased his brow for a moment pondering Elrond's strange question. Then slowly shook his head in the negative.

"Then cutting of your lovely pointed ears will not stop you from being an elf."

"Then _what_ must I do?" Elemmire whined in earnest.

Elrond laughed lightly and finished washing Elemmire's hair.

"You must be happy."

"_Happy?" _

"Mmm... Illúvatar in his great wisdom and song brought you into being."

"Whose Illtivatata? Is he really wiser than you?"

Elrond laughed and stroked the elflings head once more. "He is the one whose song the Ainur comprehend and through him all of Arda was created."

"He has a song? Does he like music?"

Elrond nestled the child close to him and a smile tugged on his lips. "Ai, he loves music, he _is _music. It is in your eyes that I can see his great song reflected."

"Really?" Elemmire looked incredulous. "But I don't know him."

"You will learn, tether pen. You will grow to see him in the beauty of Arda."

Elrond stood regally with the child still tucked close to his chest. "I still think you are wise Aura-ad-da-da."

Elrond smiled dryly, "I will remind you of that when you're a little older."

'

'

'

"Elemmire where are we going?" Amdir ran after his twin brother as fast as he could with his short legs. Elemmire was at least three lengths in front laughing mockingly all the way, which in itself was a rare occurrence.

"To the smithy!" Elemmire laughed over his shoulder.

"Oh!" Amdir murmured wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Why there? It's dirty and smelly and dirty…"

"I want to see Aldros."

Mumbling and babbling to himself under his breath Amdir ran after his brother into the smithy.

Elemmire ignored his brother's complaints and wove in and out of the benches and working elves without hindrance. They were so small that their little heads could not be seen bobbing up and down under the benches.

"There he is!"

Elemmire rushed forward and grabbing Aldros' thick leather apron tugged relentlessly.

Surprised by the interruption Aldros nearly dropped his tools. He looked around madly before seeing the twins before him.

"Ah it's you two."

Elemmire nodded.

"The smithy isn't a place for you little one."

Elemmire nodded again. "But I _will _grow one day."

Aldros tried his best impression at looking stern. "What do you two want?"

"I wanna see your ears."

"My _ears_?"

"I need to check something."

"My _ears_?"

Elemmire rolled his eyes and tugged on the leather apron insistently. "I can't see from down here you are going to come down here."

Deciding it was best to humour Elrohir's sons Aldros crouched beside the children. Elemmire's little fingers brushed Aldros hair away and brushed the edges of the large smithy's ears.

"Yup pointed," Elemmire noted to himself standing on tip toe he then went to the other side which Aldros obligingly turned for him to see. "Definitely pointed. He's an elf and I like him."

Amdir murmured something under his breath.

"Ho, Aldros no elflings in the smithy!" An impatient blonde elf called out.

Aldros swooped down and picked the two youngsters in his arms. "They're leaving now, Elwë."

"I didn't know you had twins." A ginger blonde elf said looking up.

"They're not mine Amras."

"Well," said Amras smiling widely. "Introduce us."

'

'

'

Half and hour later after Elemmire had checked the entirety of the smithy for pointed ears and after endless streams on genially grins and tickling he left the smithy with Amdir in toe.

Amdir getting over his grumpy state saw King Thandruil talking adamantly with another elf. Tugging on Elemmire's sleeve he gestured to the engrossed twin.

"Let's see if the Mirkwood people have pointy ears too!"

Elemmire nodded enthusiastically and galloped after his brother to find out what sort of ears the King possessed. The excited twins halted abruptly and Thandruil looked down upon them surprised by their presence.

"Could we perhaps see your ears?" Amdir asked sweetly opting for the more polite avenue for finding out while Elemmire was expertly looking cute and innocent beside

him.

"My ears?" Thandruil asked raising and elegant eyebrow and looking to his companion who looked quite shocked. "Now what would you want with the King of Mirkwood's ears?"

Elemmire tilted his head slightly with a smile. "Just to see. We won't steal them."

Thandruil carefully bent down to the twins level and placidly let them inspect his ears. The lightness of their touch brought ticklish shivers down his spine. Without much inspection Amdir turned to Elemmire. "They're pointed just like all the smithies' ears."

"Then," Elemmire dramatically said slowly, "I conclude that not all elves are bad as master said."

Thandruil laughed lightly and tapped the two youngsters who had seemingly forgotten him. Elrohir had crept up behind his engrossed sons and the king.

"King Thandruil I…" Elrohir looked to the twins who blinked innocently at him. "I'm sorry if they bothered you…"

"Peace, young Elrohir." Thandruil held up an elegant hand to stop Elrohir's apologies. "We were just having a delightful discussion about ears." He chuckled at the incredulous light in Elrohir's eyes.

'

'

'

Warm, fed and told a bed time story from their new ada the twins lay in darkness. Amdir had fallen asleep early but Elemmire stayed awake listlessly turning from one side to another. Something niggled and gnawed at his mind; stealing away the peace of sleep. It was driving him insane.

Fidgeting with a piece of blanket Elemmire turned on his stomach and decided to count chicken's eggs like he always did when he couldn't sleep.

_One… two… three… throw one at Amdir when no one is looking…poke out tongue defiantly at Amdir's furious look…duck and laugh… four… five… _

Nope! Elemmire punched the pillow viciously it wasn't working tonight. He punched he pillow again for good measure and slipped from under the bed and padded noiselessly to the door.

Without glancing in Amdir direction he slipped through the door and into the hall. Imladris was sure quiet at night. Elemmire padded down the hall wishing suddenly that he had brought a blanket with him.

He continued without this sort of comfort however, and stopped by the door where he knew he might get some answers. Resisting the impulse to knock, Elemmire opened the door quietly and slipped through the small crack.

His gaze lingered on the black figured that was breathing in regular deep breaths. Sighing he stepped forward and clambered on top of the bed resting his hands on the figure's shoulders.

"Wake up," Elemmire whisperingly pleaded shaking the shoulder gently.

The breathing stopped in its rhythm hitching slightly and the figures eyes focused.

Strong arms grabbed him and Elemmire's instincts kicked into fighting mode. He lashed out kicking the prone figure in the ribs. He heard as satisfying yelp but the figure caught him firmly by the shoulders.

"_Elemmire?"_

"Please don't hurt me!" Elemmire squealed. The figured let him down gently and the hands withdrew.

"What are you doing in my room at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep adar-gwador, Elladan."

"Then _why _didn't you got to your _ada?_"

"I need to ask you something."

"Hmm, well I'm waiting."

"You told me that my name means star…" Elemmire floundered.

"Yes," Elladan yawned impatiently.

"And you said you called me star because they are precious."

"Yes." Elladan had no concept of where this conversation was leading too.

"I- I don't… I don't think that I could make the stars specialer…"

"Eh?" Elladan groaned unintelligibly.

"You said you named me to remind me that stars are precious and special… but I… I don't know how.to.make.them.feel.special."

Elladan fell back into his coverlets and laughed heartily. The elfling had woken him up at this ungracious time in the night about making stars feel special. Two small hands clinging to his shoulders jolted him back to the reality that Elemmire was still there.

"I never said _you_ had to make the stars feel special!"

Elemmire tilted his head to one side his eyes reflecting confusion.

"I'll tell you what I hold more special than stars Elemmire."

Elemmire blinked slowly.

"_You_, tithen-gil. The name I gave you was to remind you that you were very special."

Elladan froze as Elemmire blinked slowly again. "What about Amdir?" Elemmire asked clearly worried for his brother.

Elladan grinned. "Amdir too. There's nothing quite so special and a pair of elfling twins."

Elemmire's face brightened in comprehension. He then did something Elladan did not expect. He leaned over and planted a kiss on his embarrassed uncle's cheek and squirmed down to lay down beside him.

"Thankyou," A little voice whispered beside Elladan's ear as he once again surrendered to slumber.

'

'

'

Iauradar – means ancient father and thankyou, thankyou Dae for helping me out!

Aura-ad-da-da – Elemmire's cute attempt to say Iauradar

Adar-gwador – my way of saying uncle (completely made this up) – literally father -brother

tithen-gil – little star (cute pet name don't you think?)

Please note the creation story of Illúvatar (or alternately Illtivatata) was written from my basic and very simple understanding of the creation story of Middle Earth. I apologise if this is totally of the mark!


	9. Grave Fears

Disclaimer: Middle Earth and its characters belong to JRR Tolkein… all except my twinlings! A scene in this chapter is taken and adapted from a TV drama McLeod's Daughters and a line taken almost straight from the episode involved is used. I own neither… but the scene was brilliant – it made me cry. I hope I do it justice!

Be warned this is little more angsty than usual!

Chapter Nine Grave Fears

"Ada! Aura-ad-da-da!" Identical voices rang through the halls of Imladris. Elrond looked up from Elrohir's face to the door in time to see Elemmire and Amdir rush in like a whirlwind.

"Look! Look!" the usually placid Elemmire waved a piece of parchment around above his head. Amdir followed the action. Elrond raised his eyebrows at the healthy pink coloured cheeks to the ink stains on the children's cuffs.

Elemmire scrambled onto Elrohir's lap his twin was following dangerously close. Elrohir gave a small gasp of surprise at being suddenly suffocated by the twins. Elrond concealed a grin remembering being often put in that uncomfortable position. Unlike _his_ sons however Elemmire and Amdir weren't vying for supreme spot on their Ada's lap. For that Elrohir should be grateful.

"Look!" cried Amdir.

"Look!" cried Elemmire, his parchment waved under Elrohir's nose leaving an inky moustache.

Elrond did laugh in those moments. "I'm sure your Ada will look if you hand him the parchment."

Elrohir gave Elrond a withering look. Put his sons were looking up adoringly at him with large proud eyes. They handed their respective parchments over solemnly. Elrohir held the parchments at arms length.

"Ah ha… hmmm!"

"Ada you have the parchments upside down!" Elemmire exclaimed incredulously.

"Silly Ada," Amdir admonished as he turned the parchment over for Elrohir.

"Ah _now_ I see," Elrohir replied his eyes glanced up at Elrond his eyes dancing in mirth. "Well aren't we clever little elflings your first Tengwar alphabet." He squinted at the corner of one of the parchments were there was a strange smudge.

"That's my thumb print!" Amdir pointed proudly.

"I'm sure Iauradar would love to see them!"

The young twins exchanged glances and simultaneously took their parchments and slid off Elrohir's lap. Elrond welcomed the youngsters to his lap and looked over their work. The parchment was filled with the spidery imitations of the alphabet, completely identical with the exception of Amdir's thumb print, which again he pointed out proudly.

During this time Elladan came to the door and watched with a grin. He too was sporting ink stained hands and what unmistakably a handprint on his cheek. **'Babysitting isn't too hard after all.'**

Elladan's comment was meet with a laugh from Elrohir which floated on their telepathic link.

'**I spent the whole afternoon teaching them Sindarin. Ask them what else I taught them.'**

Elrohir was silent.

'**Go on.' **

So Elrohir asked.

The twins tilted their heads comically and glanced at Elladan who nodded his head in approval. Elrohir's ears were soon ringing with a simple phrase.

"Amin mela lle."

Elrohir glanced up at his twin brother and back to his beaming twins. "Amin mela lle," Elrohir almost choked. "Amin mela lle."

Elrohir felt his brother's presence move so that Elladan was standing right behind him his hand squeezing Elrohir's shoulder.

'**They asked me. They thought you would want to know.' **

Elrohir turned and nodded at his brother wordlessly. The tiny twins however excitable by their day's success were soon racing down the hall way calling for Erestor and Glorfindel.

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The afternoon had slowly turned to the stillness of early evening when Amdir came into the room in which Elrohir and Elladan were talking with the Rangers of the North.

Elrohir glanced up surprised that the youngster was unaccompanied. Perturbed that his sharp eyes had not spied Elemmire nor had his ears picked up the sound of a second patting footsteps, Elrohir took a step forward. Something was wrong he could feel it deep within his bones.

Amdir blinked slowly and glanced about the room looking for something. "Where's Elemmire?"

Elrohir felt as if he had been struck. "Isn't Elemmire with you?"

Amdir shook his head. "I went to sleep and Elemmire was not with me."

Elrohir glanced at the men. "Forgive me but I must go and find my other child."

"Lle lakwenien?"

Elrohir shook his head sadly and took Amdir's hand in his own and started to steer from the room. "Afraid not, Estel."

"I will help," the man Estel said simply and followed Elrohir and Elladan from the room.

Feeling himself loosing his calm exterior and his peace turning into a blinding panic, Elrohir quickly handed Amdir over to a random elf in the hall and told him to take the youngster to his apartments.

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Elrohir's felt as if he had called himself hoarse within the walls of Imladris but there was no answer from Elemmire.

Half of Imladris was now looking for the stray elfling. Elrond and Erestor had joined the search party early, looking for the child amongst the offices.

Nor was he in the visitors wing with King Thandruil or Legolas…

Elrohir looked out the window glumly. The search had been extended outside a little while ago. He sighed and dashed outside.

Glorfindel indicated to him the stables and the animal pens had been thoroughly searched.

Aldros nor any of the blacksmith had seen the elfling.

The gardens seemed to be quiet with no sign of Elemmire anywhere…

Elrohir let his panic gnaw its way through his guts. He was hungry but he felt incredibly numb at the same time. He knew if someone was to offer him something to consume he wouldn't be able to…

Oh where! Oh where had his elfling gone?

A recent memory stirred in his mind. With water and ducks and laughter. Gasping in horror Elrohir ran as fast as he could down to the lake. Elladan who could sense his moods followed…

Although he was of the elf kind Elrohir was gasping by the time he reached the edge of the pond.

"Elemmire! ELEMMIRE!" Elrohir bellowed. "Elemmire please come out! You're not in trouble! Come out!"

Elrohir took frantic steps forward but came to an abrupt halt as he step on something. Glancing downwards he saw that it was a piece of parchment. Bending down he did not have to lift it close to his eyes to see the Tengwar alphabet.

"No!" he whispered to the wind, closely his eyes tightly and pressing the paper to his chest. "No…"

Elrohir's eyes snapped open to behold the dark glossy calmness of the lake. Throwing the parchment behind him Elrohir ripped off his jerkin and plunged into the water.

"Elemmire…"

'_Oh by the grace of the Valar please don't let him be drowned.'_

Elrohir ducked his head underwater searching frantically for his child. He saw nothing but the swirling of the disturbed mud and small fish darting about his hands. He came up gasping for air. He ducked back under. And again. And again.

"Elrohir! Elrohir!" Elladan came splashing towards him and grabbed his shoulder. Elrohir tried to shake him off, but Elladan was persistent. "Elrohir stop."

"Leave me," Elrohir hissed in irradiation.

Elladan weighed his next words carefully. "Elrohir, if Elemmire is in here then… then it is a recovery not a rescue."

Elrohir clutched at his heart and wavered on the spot.

"If he is in there you can't do anything to save him."

"NO!" Elrohir ducked himself under again. Elladan stood in the middle of the lake at a loss of what to do. Should he stay and comfort his twin who would not hear him or should he return to Imladris and comfort Amdir.

Elrohir's head bobbed up from the water again. He sunk back down onto his knees however and let out an anguished cry.

Elladan waded over to him, plucked him up by his arm and trudged grimly back to shore. Not since the tragic demise of their dear mother had he seen his brother cry.

Both sons of Elrond heard the calls of the Imladris elves careening down the hill towards them. Elrohir sobbed breathlessly into his brother's chest. Elladan held his brother grimly and turned his head.

He was in time to see Elrond picking up the piece of discarded parchment his face ashen.

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Yes cruel cliffhanger…Very cruel of me I know. But I just love cliffhangers soooo much!

Aura-ad-da-da! – the twins' attempt at Iauradar

Iauradar – Grandfather

Amin mela lle. – I love you.

Lle lakwenien? - Are you joking?


	10. What was Lost is Found

**Author's Note: Firstly I am sooooo sorry for not updating. I've just finished my Mathematics Education 3 assignment (thirty pages) and now I'm onto more teacher planning stuff. Sigh I'm busy and stressed. But in celebration of one less assignment I am giving you this chapter.**

**Okay further note – come to the conclusion no more elvish phrasing for me! **

**Disclaimer: Middle Earth obviously does not belong to me! I can't even construct a simple elvish phrase! ARGH!**

Chapter Ten What Was Lost is Found

Elrond and Elladan supported the sobbing Elrohir back to the last Homely House, leaving Glorfindel in charge of the continued search for Elemmire, or as Elrohir was now certain the elfling's body.

Elrohir shivered involuntarily not because it was cold something inside of him had altered. His heart seemed heavy, his footsteps were leaden and his eyesight blurred. He recognised them as the same physical discomforts he experienced when he and Elladan had found their mother battered and near death. With a shuddering sigh he lifted a pale hand and wiped his cheeks dry with his long elegant fingers.

Elrohir's sadness suddenly stilled, he felt the beast inside him uncurl and his anger rise. Wrenching his arms away first his father and his brother Elrohir hissed in annoyance. "I am no invalid."

Elladan glanced up at Elrohir wide eyed and deeply wounded by his brother's reprimand. "Elrohir…" the word was but a whisper but it was enough to make Elrohir's fraying temper soar. Grounding his teeth Elrohir sneered and started to stalk ungracefully up the stairs glaring at any elf that was brave enough to bar his path.

"Elrohir!" Elrond called in his ever so even calm tone. "Come back here."

Elrohir continued is prowl, preferring to pretend he had not heard his father's voice.

"Elrohir!" Elrond repeated crisply not so calmly. Elrohir's retreating back was all Elrond received in reply.

"ELROHIR!" Elrond screeched loosely all pretence of his lordly countenance. Elrohir turned on his heel and tilted his head roughly to the side; knowing full well he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard Elrond's call. "What?"

Elrond took a step back in surprise never had either of his son's dared to use such a surly tone with him! "Elrohir," Elrond growled warningly, which would have been enough to make a belrog quail in fright.

"What?" Elrohir snarled relishing taking his anger out of his own father.

Hurt and angry himself Elladan stepped forward. "We are only trying to comfort you… no need to swipe our heads of our shoulders." With a look of total disgust Elladan pushed past Elrohir and squelched down the hall. "At any rate I won't let you see Amdir while you are in such a state of madness!"

Elrohir watched dumbfounded as his elder brother matched down the hall, looking regal despite the fact his robes where soaked and muddied and was that fresh water weed behind his elegant pointed ear? "Amdir…" Elrohir whispered to himself sinking slowly to his knees. _How in all of Arda could he explain to Amdir what had befallen his twin? _

Elrohir did the only thing he could do in the situation he sat on his haunches in the middle of the hall and cried. Much to Elrond's consternation.

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Elladan wrenched Elrohir's door open with more force then he meant to. He was so angry with his brother that he could wrap his fingers around his throat and…

The door banged frightfully against the wall and bounced slightly. Elladan caught a glimpse of Amdir flitting from the bed. The dark haired elfling looked up with wide blue-green eyes and smiled tentatively.

"You're wet," Amdir pointed out grinning his eyes flitted back to Elrohir's chess board.

"Yes," Elladan said blandly.

"And muddy."

"That too."

Amdir picked up the black knight and skipped it diagonally over a black pawn. He took the black pawn from the board then scrambled over the other side and this time attacked the white queen with her own pawn. When he had done this he jumped back to the black side.

Elladan watched the one sided game in amusement. Amdir hadn't made any legal moves. Obviously he had been watching Erestor playing the night before with Elrond…

"Those moves are very illegal," Elladan pointed out dryly.

Amdir blinked up at him with large confused eyes. "I don't mind if I cheat against myself."

"I could show you…"

But Amdir's eyes were glued to the board once more. "Shh… Not now! This is a game of strategy." Elladan blanched, Amdir even sounded like Erestor.

With a flurry of hand movements Amdir picked up the black king and the white king and they did battle in mid air. The pieces clinked together making Elladan grimace, if only Elrohir could see what was being done to his precious chess set! On second thoughts… Suddenly as the Great Battle began the two kings froze in the air and then plummeted to their deaths onto the board.

"They're dead. Not coming back like Glorfindel though. Where's Elemmire?"

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Elrond wrapped his arms around Elrohir shoulders and hurled him to his feet. He proceeded to drag his son along back to his own chambers when a servant rushed up his cheeks a cherry read colour from his recent exertion.

"Master Elrond, the Lady of the…"

"Elrond…" An ethereal voice broke of the servant's message. Elrond turned abruptly and grimaced. He had forgotten about his mother-in-law's imminent arrival in all the excitement.

"Milady Galadriel, Milord Celeborn." Elrond said dipping his head slightly in a gesture of acknowledgement and tightening his grip on Elrohir.

Galadriel, Celeborn and a few other Lorien elves took in silently Elrohir wet, muddy, sobbing form and Elrond pinched expression.

"I'm afraid you caught us at a bad…" Elrond stopped and glared hard at a blonde elf Rumil the brother of the March Warden Haldir. He had to check himself from dropping Elrohir.

"What do you think you were doing? Scaring us like that?" Elrond placed Elrohir on the floor and a few quick strides took a small elfling out of Rumil's arms. The little elfling shuddered and his eyes filled instantly with tears. Elrond feeling anxious and surprising angry (despite always keeping his cool over the brash actions of his own twin sons), kneeled beside Elemmire.

Elemmire glanced back nervously at the Lorien elves as if they might be able to get him out of trouble. To stop his hands from shaking too badly Elemmire pulled various twigs from his long raven locks, his braids had long been loosened.

Elrohir had glanced up by this time, wiped his eyes and whipped Elemmire into his arms. "Where have _you _been?"

Elemmire sniffled and looked pleadingly to Rumil who grinned despite himself and glanced to his brother Orophin who was uncharacteristically sulking.

"I thought he was a balrog," Elemmire's voice quaked as he pointed a shaking finger at Orophin.

"A balrog, really! I know I'm not the prettiest elf in this world. Humph really what are you Rivendell elves teaching your youngsters?" Orophin grumbled glaring at Rumil and Haldir in turn.

"So I climbed a tree," Elemmire finished still anxiously watching Orophin as if he might pounce and bight him. "And got stuck."

Rumil snickered and flashed a grin at Elemmire. "We then sent Orophin up to get him… erm… the little one can put up a fight when threatened."

"Stupid elfling," Orophin murmured rubbing his nose. "I think it is broken!"

"It's not broken," Haldir admonished calmly, "Stupid you for threatening him."

"It was a beautiful punch," Rumil reminisced. "Pity you didn't fall out of the tree."

Orophin glanced at Elrond and Elrohir who were enrapt by the tale and decided to finish it off quickly. "So we sent the prettiest of our number up the tree to retrieve him and no it wasn't Lady Galadriel." He glanced significantly at his younger brother and smirked, it was Rumil's turn to glower.

"Ada you're wet." Elemmire decided it was time to inform Elrohir of his unlordly appearance.

"Ada?" The Lorien elves glanced meaningfully at Elrond and Elrohir to explain.

"What haven't you told us, Elrond my old friend?" Lord Celeborn inquired.

"Peace, love, Elrond has hardly had time to inform us of the new additions to the family." Galadriel lightly tapped the top of Elemmire's head lightly and the little elfling blushed.

"I believe his brother is amusing himself with your chess set while Elladan watches on. Oh… the poor kings…"

Before Galadriel could say any more. Elrohir about faced and raced down the corridor to rescue his chess set leaving Elemmire to look up at Galadriel and Celeborn with wide innocent eyes.

"It has been a long day. Anyone for a drink?" Elrond asked drawing Elemmire close.

"Make it strong," was Orophin's only reply.

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**Love me for updating? I thought I would make this a little funnier than my pervious naughtly angsty chapter where I had some of you thinking Elemmire had drowned. Wasn't that naughty of me?**

**Anyway way do you guys say to an another story of these two pesky twins when they're a little older and wiser… but not too wise? Let me know cause I'll have to come up with a better plot than this little plot bunny!**

And sorry to any special Orophin fans! He he he!


	11. Long Kisses Goodnight

Discalimer: Middle Earth unfortunately doesn't belong to me… I can't even phrase something in Elvish!

Chapter Eleven. Long Kisses Goodnight

Elemmire was almost bent double with the pile of dry towels and clothing Elrond had given him. "Take those to your Ada and Gwador-Ada," Elrond commanded. Elemmire nodded juggling the items slightly and shifting shyly from one foot to another. "And I suggest you fervently apologise for worrying your father to fading…" Elemmire whimpered silently and bobbed his head in acquiescence to Elrond's request.

"I am sorry," Elemmire murmured. "Truly I am. I won't climb another tree again… I didn't like being stuck up there with a mean elf trying to shake me free from the branches."

Elrond grimaced slightly and glanced at a cringing Orophin, who shrugged listlessly.

"Go!" Elrond commanded with a wave of his hand. Bobbing his head once more Elemmire scrambled, with the best of his ability considering his load, out of the room and down the hall. Not without tripping over his own feet.

Elrond smile disarmingly at Galadriel and Celeborn and shook his head sadly. Celeborn was gazing at him with half lidded eyes over the goblet of wine, Elrond had previously unceremoniously shoved in his hand before loading up Elemmire.

"Elrohir's latest foundlings unfortunately weren't orphaned ferrets," Elrond sighed. "He has his hands full with those two twinlings."

"TWO!" Orophin cried. "There are two of _them?"_ He slapped his face with his free hand and groaned. "Ai! ... Illúvatar save us all!"

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"ARGH! Ruddy elfling watch where you are going!" Elemmire landed on his backside, towels and clothes landing everywhere.

"Ow! I'm sorry," Elemmire breathed gathering the garments clumsily resting on his knees. "I couldn't see where I was going."

"Hmm. With such a large pile I can understand why."

Elemmire blushed heatedly, still collecting garments trying not to look at the new comer.

"Where are you going little one?" the stranger asked.

"I'm off to fer… fer….feverly," Elemmire stumbled trying to remember the words Elrond had used when he had given him instructions. "…apologise to Ada," he finished lamely but decided after a moments hesitation to add, "But I'm lost."

"A lost elf, eh?"

Elemmire nodded and first the first time took his eyes off his small boots and up into the peering face of the stranger.

"You're human!" Elemmire cried before he could stop himself. He clapped both of his hands over his mouth and his eyes bulged in trepidation of what the stranger thought of his rash words. He had always been taught to be meek and mild when talking to a grown up.

The human however chuckled lightly picked up Elemmire's load and replied before standing. "I'm Estel and you would be the famous Elemmire. Come I'll take you to Ada Elrohir," the human said with a hint of amusement in his voice. He clicked his tongue and chuckled again, looking at Elemmire and grinning.

"What's funny?" Elemmire demanded as he pranced up behind the human, Estel. His long ruined raven braids bouncing behind him.

Estel merely grinned shook his head and replied, "Many things for a start I'll leave Imladris and Elrohir has no children. I come back a month or two later and here he is with twins!"

Elemmire frowned. "That's not funny."

Estel only grinned wider and opened a door. "This one is Ada Elrohir's."

Elemmire gulped and wove under Estel's arm which held the door open. "Ada…"

Two adult pair of eyes regarded the little elfling harshly. Elemmire quailed under their gaze and glanced back at Estel as if wishing he could save him from his predicament.

"Come here, Elemmire," Elrohir ordered coolly. Elemmire obeyed on weak legs. He knew never to disobey an important adult's direct command.

When the little elfling was close enough Elrohir took the child's small hands in his own. "Why did you venture into the woods by yourself? You had me thinking you were drowned."

Elemmire glanced uncertainly back at Estel then a glaring Elladan and finally into Elrohir's eyes. "I'm sorry…" Elemmire's bottom lip trembled and tears filled his eyes.

"That was not my question ion-nin."

Elemmire sniffed loudly. "I saw more than one human in the courtyard," he stated as if it finalised the manner.

Elrohir and Elladan exchanged confused glances.

"Obviously they were slavers," Elemmire whispered scanning the room so that his large watery eyes resting on Estel. "No insult implied Mr. Slaver, sir."

Elladan could not contain his mirth at the incredulous look on Estel's face. Snickering he took a towel and draped it around his shoulders. "He's not a slaver," Elladan said. Elemmire looked extremely doubtful.

"Elrohir rescued his babes from slavers," Elladan explained almost apologetically to Estel. Finally Estel closed his opened mouth. "Perhaps you can play with the twins while we clean ourselves up."

Elladan and Elrohir gave Estel no option to reply. They left the room abruptly and moments later Amdir burst through the room and giggling wrestled his twin onto the floor.

'_Oh well,'_ Estel thought wearily, _'Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.'_

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"Best behaviour," Elrohir warned. Both twins nodded there head in unison their faces the picture of innocence. Of course they were both pretty naïve about elvish culture so Elrohir was sure it was inevitable that the twins would find trouble of some sort.

"You're both to stay in the Hall of Fire at all times unless I say otherwise." The elflings nodded at once. Elrohir sighed heavily and sent another critical glaze at the children. Amdir was dressed in deep blue and was tugging at his braids. Elemmire was dressed in deep crimson so that the guests could tell the two apart.

With a small nod of approval Elrohir steered his twins towards the opening of the doors and ushered the children before him like a mother hen.

Elrohir gazed from Galadriel and Celeborn his grandparents who both could not help but stare at the children he lead gently before him. Orophin looked horrified and was choking on his wine. Elladan was waiting patiently listening to Erestor talk with their father.

'**What took you so long?'** Elladan sent glancing momentarily out of his wine glass.

'**Amdir still doesn't like his braids...And Elemmire's scared that big bad Orophin is going to throttle him.'**

'**Oh.'** Elladan snorted loudly choking on his wine. **'There's a possibility.'**

Elrond watched the silent exchange between the elder twins, eyes narrowed. Elladan's eyes flickered to Orophin then back to Elemmire a sure tell tale sign of the silent conversation. Grimacing Elrond glared at Elladan, who shrug innocently, Orophin hated it when the twins spoke about him through their invisible link.

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Elemmire listened wide eyed at the beautiful elvish voices that filled the hall. He was sitting on his Ada's lap since; Elrohir was determined not to let him out of his sight. But Elrohir was tending to a sleepy Amdir who was being lulled asleep by the music. And Elemmire was too busy watching and waiting for an opportunity to leave Elrohir's lap.

Elemmire quickly slipped from Elrohir's knee and crawled under the table. A moment later his raven head popped up near Orophin's elbow.

"Psst…" Elemmire jerked the elder's jerkin in his fists. Orophin who had his goblet raised looked over its rim down at Elemmire. With very slow deliberate movements Orophin replaced the goblet firmly onto the table and faced the little monster.

"Hmm…" Orophin murmured trying to do his best impersonation of scary.

Elemmire just stared up at him with starry eyes. "I'm terribly sorry about your nose, Awe-foe-flyn. But I don't think it's broken."

Orophin gazed at the youngster and for a moment he could not for the life of him figure out what scared him about this child. He merely nodded his head and Elemmire disappeared back down under the table once more.

"Gwador, if I ever think of having children feed me to a pack of wargs," Orophin whispered in Haldir's ear.

"Upon my words I will," Haldir replied solemnly. "The poor child!"

Elemmire however had not heard this exchange and was making his way towards Elrond under the table. He misjudged however and found himself positioned between Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.

Lord Celeborn gasped slightly in surprise to come face to face with a child's face under the table cloth but otherwise he smiled. Drawing his chair out slightly, he gracefully bent down and picked up the transfixed child. "What's this I find under Lord Elrond's table?"

In the next moment Elemmire was on Celeborn's knee. "Now let's have a good look at you, eh. You're Ada hasn't given me a chance." Celeborn's soft hands caught Elemmire's chin and lifted his gaze.

"Hmm… you could do with many a good meal." Celeborn offered Elemmire a bowl of berries he had observed the youngsters enjoying. He and his brother had demolished the other large bowl of berries almost between them.

"Iauradar! No more berries he'll burst!" Elrohir cried from the other table as Elemmire was gathering courage to take what was offered to him.

"Nonsense," Celeborn said shaking the bowl slightly. The temptation was too much, Elemmire's hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of berries which he made short work of. "He's obviously still hungry."

Elrohir frowned and stood holding a snoring Amdir in his arms. Elemmire glanced up as Elrohir motioned to him. "Time to say goodnight."

Elemmire looked back at the bowl of berries in disappointment but obediently slipped of Celeborn's knee. "Goodnight," he said, thinking of the bowls of berries that might greet him at breakfast. Celeborn patted his head and kissed his cheek which made Elemmire squirm with a giggle. "Goodnight, little star."

Elemmire made his way slowly around the table saying goodnight to just about everyone; even the elves he didn't know. Amused and slightly annoyed by Elemmire's display of friendliness Elrohir had no choice but wait.

Elemmire deliberately left Elrond to last. He stopped before the elf lord before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I am truly sorry for the trouble I caused today. Really I am."

Elrond did not fight the smile that tugged on his tips. "You have learnt from your mistake?"

Elemmire nodded.

"Then be at peace. I am no longer angry. Now goodnight."

"Good night Iauradar!" Elemmire jumped from his placed and bounded out after Elrohir, high on natural sugars.


	12. Custard Missiles

Disclaimer: Middle Earth entirely belongs to JRR Tolkein.

**Epilogue Custard Missiles**

Amdir picked up his bulging balloon and turned to grin at his twin. "Ready?"

"Ready…" Elemmire chirruped in reply grinning devilishly, dancing on this precariously perch on a stump.

"Then…"

"Fire!" Elemmire cried hefting his ammunition in his hands and throwing it hard at Amdir.

"ARGHHHH!" The missile was a perfect hit. And Amdir fell backwards from his stump and landed hard on his bottom. "Oww. Elemmire you cheated."

Elemmire laughed and jumped up and down on his stump. "I got you! I got you!" he chorused loudly.

"You cheated," Amdir snarled. "Cheat. Cheat. Cheat."

Elemmire stopped jumping and started to hop from one foot to the other. "Am not."

"Am to," Amdir stated.

"Am not." Elemmire poked out his tongue.

"Am to…" Amdir corrected poking his tongue out as well.

"Am to."

"Am not!"

"Ha! I got you Amdir you said I wasn't cheating!" Elemmire wiped his brow coating his hand in a sticking substance.

"Didn't."

"Did!"

"Didn't."

Frustrated Amdir stepped backwards and picked up another balloon. Before Elemmire could cry out and protect himself, Amdir burst the balloon over his head. This caused a great yellow river of stickiness to cascade down Elemmire's hair.

"Why you!" Elemmire took a running leap and landed on his brother and tackled him to the ground. Amdir reeled backwards and the two twins frolicked in the autumn leaves.

"What's this?" The elflings found themselves separated by strong hands and lifted up by the back of their jerkins.

Elemmire blinked his large eyes and smiled winningly. "Ow, Aldros we were just playing," he said to the large blacksmith. Aldros looked from one twin to the other looking rather stern.

"So you were behind the smithy making enough noise to wake the dead trying to kill each other and you call it playing?"

"Well," Amdir said practically, "What would you call it?"

"Could you put us down your hurting me," Elemmire whinged.

Aldros didn't look impressed. "Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are leaving for Lorien today and this is how you will farewell them?"

"Well…at least…" Elemmire stuttered.

"They'll remember us," Amdir finished with a curt nod of his head.

"Hmm…" Aldros hummed deep in the back of his throat.

"Can you put us down now?" Elemmire inquired hopefully.

"No you're going straight to your ada and the baths…"

"I don't want a bath," Amdir complained.

"I don't like the soap," Elemmire added crossing his arms against his chest.

"Nonsense," Aldros sniffed, "You're covered in… in… erm…"

"Custard," Amdir supplied.

Elemmire dipped his finger in his hair coating it with thick gooey custard. "You want a lick?"

"It's very sweet," Amdir added helpfully as if this description would be enough to convince Aldros to try the custard.

"Erm.. . no thankyou," Aldros replied knitting his eyebrows in consternation. You keep it."

With the two twins bundled underneath his arm wiggling and squirming Aldros marched back to the Last Homely House. In the past few weeks the elflings had been warned against any terribly messy games and it retrospect they had done well. But they just had to throw balloons of custard at each other the last day of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel's visit. Aldros sighed the children's behaviour had been too good during the visit.

"Maybe we should try honey next time," Amdir suggested.

"With cream?"

"No!" Aldros snapped.

"Why not?" Aldros was assailed with two pair of green blue eyes staring innocently at him.

"Do you have something better than honey?" Elemmire inquired.

Aldros was feeling slightly panicked what could he say? "It's a dreadful waste of food," he scolded. "And terribly naughty."

"I didn't know being naughty was so fun," Amdir commented innocently to his brother.

"Well there was that time we had an egg fight in the hen house and told master it was a fox that created the mess," Elemmire supplied.

Amdir nodded knowingly. "Now that was fun."

Aldros sighed, by this time he had reached the front steps and could see Elrohir approaching him in deep discussion with his grandfather, Lord Celeborn. He groaned aloud and wondered if he could scurry around the other side and hide the children until they were more presentable. No such luck. Lord Celeborn looked up and saw them. Was it just Aldros or did he catch the corner of Celeborn's mouth twitch?

Celeborn leaned into Elrohir and whispered something in his ear. Elrohir looked up and couldn't help but smile dotingly at his little ones.

"My, my, my," Elrohir called, "what have you got there, Aldros?"

Aldros grimaced and set the twins down on their feet. "Hello Ada," Amdir chirped happily. Elemmire ran forwards wrapping his arms around Elrohir's legs. Elrohir brushed his thumb over Elemmire's sticky cheek. "I think I can see an elfling under there."

Elemmire giggled gleefully and blinked. "I got Amdir really good, Ada."

Amdir scowled. "Cheat."

Elemmire merely smirked at his twin. "You should have seen his face."

Lord Celeborn covered his mouth with the tips of his fingers in a regal attempt to hide his smile. He knelt down beside the two twins and glanced momentarily up at Elrohir. "You look after your, Ada." The twins nodded simultaneously. "You treat him well. Elemmire no getting stuck in trees and worrying your Ada to fading." Elemmire smiled winningly he had been a standing joke in Imladirs about him going missing. "No punching March Wardens." Another nod. "And Amdir, look after your brother, eh? Keep him out of trouble." Amdir nodded shyly he found Celeborn's presence a little uncomfortable.

"Good lads." Celeborn kissed both the twins on the cheek. He stood slowly looking pensively. Deliberately he licked his lips and asked, "Custard?"

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**That is the end of the story for the little twins. I'm posting the first chapter to the sequel up as soon as I finish posting this one. Sequel is called Double, Double. Bigger elflings, bigger trouble. **


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